Gingerbread Mommy

January 15, 2012

2012-01-16T12:18:00.001-05:00

Clown Birthday

the invitation

rainbow cake

clown cupcakes

happy birthday 4 year old babyman! (i supposed i can't call you that anymore!)

Camping Party

2011-11-29T13:59:00.001-05:00

the invitation

the cake

take home treat

"Take a picture, Mommy!"

2011-11-09T09:29:00.000-05:00

Fresh eggs from our friends...

Mostly...

2011-11-09T09:24:00.000-05:00

For those who ask, we answer "Mostly...."

My niece, Babybug

2011-11-09T08:24:00.000-05:00

the future gymnast!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-07T14:35:00.000-05:00

The magician... no, not a wizard. He had to have a "pointy hat!"

The fire knight

The lego man

Pinterest?

2011-10-03T16:41:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I saw this on a blogger-friend's Pinterest. I really am not 100 % sure what Pinterest is yet, and I'm sure it's one more thing I don't have time to add to my plate, but boy is it fun to browse. So, if you want to invite me, or whatever it takes, feel free! But anyway, blog friend, Candace, I was literally cracking up outloud, because I was just quoting this, almost word for word the other day in the car!

Source: heartofwisdom.com via Candace on Pinterest

Book Review: It Couldn't Just Happen

2011-08-20T11:01:00.000-04:00

I took the opportunity to read and review It Couldn't Just Happen Knowing the Truth about God's Awesome Creation by Lawrence O. Richards. This is the first book I've reviewed for Book Sneeze. You can find out more about Book Sneeze in my sidebar.

                                                                                                                         Let me preface this by saying, I'm one of those people that believe in a young earth. Now, if you were to ask me to give you solid proof, I would have some trouble. I'm just starting to delve into the proofs behind Creation, although I have most certainly believed in the Truth my whole life. I was the first to speak up in Science class when the inevitable talk about Evolution surfaced.

It Couldn't Just Happen is marketed to a juvenile audience, but the writing is a bit advanced, in my opinion. My boys are 3,6 and 9. I would not hand any of them this book at present, nor would I use it as a read-aloud.  I really found the book to be more of a reference material that will go on my bookshelf. When my boys are a bit older, I think we will refer to it often.

It Couldn't Just Happen is written well, laid out in traditional format, with a list of Just For Fun questions to think about or activities to do at the completion of each chapter. Richards gives solid Biblical evidence for Creation shown through astronomy, the animal kingdom, plant life, geology, and human anatomy. That's the basic scheme of the book. Following is my opinion.
There's this whole controversy (I think the debate's probably been going on forever!) over whether the earth has been around for billions or thousands of years. Evolutionists, of course, perpetuate the billions theory. But there are Creationists who speak in terms of billions as well. I was hoping this book would give me age proof, but it did not. In the fifth chapter, Richards points out that we can easily see why the "many different and complex living creatures on Earth could hardly have developed from a single, ancient cell, as Evolutionists think. All this is evidence that God exists and that he is our Creator. But none of this tells us the date of Creation."

Though It Couldn't Just Happen disappointed me on my age questions, it is definitely a book filled with evidence of Creation.  Sometimes, there's this certain way the sun shines out from behind clouds, and the first thing I think is "wow, how awesome is this Creation." I point out to my children the fact that "Isn't that cool that God created that for us to enjoy?" But I've never really researched just how awesome Creation is!   Richards unveils just how awesome the Truth really is!

Quite frankly, if you are an Evolutionist reading my blog, which I doubt there are any, but that would be cool because I've always thought it'd be neat to have a controversial blog ...here are some interesting points from It Couldn't Just Happen for you to consider.

you have to have DNA to make DNA (hence, life could not have come about by chance, it must have been created by God)
animals that adapt to their environment were created with those variations already built into their genes! they don't just happen to change over time
there is not one complete fossil sequence of slow change from one kind of plant or animal to another
similarities in the animal world suggest an Intelligent Designer!
everything bears the clear mark of planning
"when someone finds a few bones or bone fragments and announces to the world that he has found the link between human and animal, we don't have to believe him!...because every other claim to have discovered some link to man's animal past has later been proven wrong!"

Mr. Richards includes a chapter on human anatomy and how God designed us just perfectly in His image. In one of the last chapters he writes how we can be sure the Bible is Truth and couldn't have just happened. He concludes his book with a very important question. Would you rather succumb to the false Theory of Evolution and have death be your destiny... your end? Or could you suppose that the Theory is wrong, and you find a Hope for your future through the realization that you were specially created by one amazing Intelligent Designer?

The above post is my own opinion. I was not compensated for reading this book or giving my opinion.

Father's Day Fun

2011-06-20T11:25:00.002-04:00

6-19-11 - picture slideshow

Fishing With Daddy

2011-06-13T13:15:00.004-04:00

Thoughts from Within

2011-05-29T11:56:00.002-04:00

Okay, so I haven't posted in three months. I won't wow you about how I am currently removing the keys from my keyboard one by one to clean with alcohol on a q-tip because coffee was spilled. I won't give you the same old sob story about how busy we have been with Cub Scouts, the daycare, swim lessons, homeschooling three boys, and constant housecleaning. Just know, that I have been thinking about you, even if it doesn't seem that way. I will try to do better, I promise. And, even if I haven't had the time to write, believe, that I have been following you!

Our First Lego Creation Thursday Post!

2011-02-25T10:42:00.005-05:00

I'm so excited for our first Lego Creation Thursday Post! Thank you Blessings from Above for inviting me!

The Spa, created by Butterbean

The Tower Jail Cell, created by Middleman

To see more Lego Creations, or to post your own you can go here!

Science Fair

2011-02-14T14:52:00.002-05:00

My flood wall builder and his AWESOME Science Fair project!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T14:45:00.003-05:00

Our handmade Valentines complete with homemade heart-shaped crayons.

Love in a Bowl Lunch

2011-02-14T14:35:00.002-05:00

I've been searching for vegetarian recipes, as I am attempting, yet again, to eat animal-free. As I am odd when it comes to seasonings, and would much rather have my food plain; it's been difficult. Most of the recipes I see are chock full of spices. This one struck my fancy. Boy was I glad I tried it for our Valentine lunch today. YUM! Thank you to Allrecipes.com. Here it is.

Apple and Brown Rice Salad

Ingredients

3/4 cup low-fat orange yogurt
1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
3 cups cooked brown rice
2 medium apples, diced
1 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Directions

Combine yogurt and mayonnaise in large bowl.
Add remaining ingredients, mixing well.
Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.

I didn't toast the pecans, and it turned out delicious! A mostly- healthy recipe if you want to add more grains, yummily!

Book Review: Warning: Some Questionable Language

2011-02-07T17:43:00.004-05:00

As my 9 year old and I are conducting research for his Science Fair project, we have read oodles of books about floods. We were excited to happen upon a little book in the Once Upon America series entitled The Day It Rained Forever, by Virginia T. Gross.

We began the book with the 9 year old reading aloud to his younger brothers, and my little daycare charges. He got bored quickly. I wanted to finish the book to see if there was any value, so I continued reading it aloud.

It was a rather boring book, and I have to agree with the mostly negative reviews I have read online. But my biggest concern (and thank goodness I was reading it and little eyes were not following along), was the phrase on page 40 " It's all the fault of the greedy rich," ..... "Damn them all to hell!"

Oh my goodness! Now, I know it may have been possible for the young character in the story to have realistically said those words. But I would have been appalled had my nine year old read them. I do not think they added anything to the story. The author could have easily shown the character's distress without the use of such foul language.

Therefore, do I want to read more of the historical fiction series, Once Upon America? I know this; I will definitely have to pre-read them all!

Middleman reciting a poem

2011-01-11T19:23:00.003-05:00

Miscellaneous Photos to say I Blogged!

2011-01-01T11:56:00.003-05:00

Follow Up to Insight

2010-11-01T14:29:00.003-04:00

For those of you that read my last blog post, I've decided to write a follow-up post!
I know some of you were concerned that I even allow my children to watch tv, let alone have the 20 cable channels it takes to have access to Insight's On Demand feature. If you know me, you'll know that I am not one who sits my kiddos down in front of mindless television day in and day out to rot their brains. Trust me, I'd much rather not even have a tv, but live on a farm where my children could learn values by milking cows and feeding chickens.

But alas, we do not have free access to said farm, cows, or even goats, for that matter. So yes, on occasion, I do let my boys view a cartoon!

As for Insight, I received a very nice email from an employee. He stated that my concerns were founded; and that he would check into my proposal of having a parental control on the previews. I hope that actually happens! I'll keep you posted.

I am appalled with Insight Communications

2010-10-28T18:24:00.003-04:00

We don't watch TV a lot. But on occasion, we do allow our children to watch preapproved shows. In general, I am pretty dissatisfied with children's programming. So when I do allow television usage, I opt for either PBS or the On Demand menu channel option through our cable company, Insight Communications. We have as basic a cable as we could get. We don't need a lot of channels, but the fact that many programs can be found on On Demand were intriguing to us.

While choosing a program from the On Demand menu, there is a preview screen that continuously plays. Frequently, those previews showcase sexual innuendos, gun usage, and recently, halloween-themed-murder-and-mayhem flicks. The previews are incredibly inappropriate for ANY young viewer.

A couple weeks back I called Insight Communications to complain. I was told nothing could be done. We all pay for this service. Shouldn't we be allowed to choose what is shown in that little preview box? Or at the very least there should be an option to turn it off!

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think. Do you have this option on your television?

Scout Centennial Jamboree

2010-10-18T14:02:00.003-04:00

Some of the more popular Cub Scout events...

slingshot

bb gun shooting (yes, i know my rules, but at least it's safe and it's cub scouts!)

and it makes for neat photographs!

*sniff
i can't believe i have TWO cub scouts this year!!

raingutter regatta

The Games are Here!

2010-09-24T13:47:00.002-04:00

A Fun Offer

2010-09-09T14:02:00.004-04:00

For your information.....

The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine is extending an extraordinary
subscription offer to homeschool families. Receive a one-year print
subscription for just $7.95 or a one-year plus current issue
subscription for $12.95. One-year subscriptions start with the winter
issue. The one-year plus current issue starts with the fall issue.
Only 5000 of these special subscriptions are available from August 31
through midnight on September 15. Once the 5000 are gone, they're gone!
Hurry and grab this crazy price today!

New Life Voices performs Sunday

2010-08-26T13:51:00.003-04:00

Are you a fan of New Life Voices (or of mine, for that matter?!)? We are performing in Campbellsville this Sunday. You can find us at Faith Baptist Church at 6:00 pm. I hope to see you there!

Schoolhouse Expo!

2010-08-17T20:15:00.005-04:00

It's back to homeschool time and registration is open for the online
Schoolhouse Expo, October 4-8. It's five days of top homeschool
speakers, fellowship, and fun door prizes.

Save $5 per ticket! Register between August 16 and midnight August 22,
and you'll pay only $19.99. Plus you'll receive over $200 in free
E-Books.

You'll be inspired by speakers including: Zan Tyler, Dr. Jay Wile, Jeannie
Fulbright,Carol Barnier, Diana Waring, Todd Wilson, Davis Carman, Kim
Kautzer, Lee Binz, and many more!

A special teen track is planned--the entire family will definitely
want to listen to these sessions. A topic that touches every homeschool will be focused upon--writing. Plus there will be an
array of other topics that will inform and inspire you throughout your
homeschooling years.

Don't forget, MP3 copies of each session come with your LIVE event ticket.

Two special preconference shows on August 24 and September 21 with Dr.
Jay Wile, Jeannie Fulbright, and Kim Kautzer!

Register starting at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, August 16.

The theme this fall is "Celebrate Homeschooling!" We're going to
celebrate the unique blessings of homeschooling, the beginning of
another school year, our families, and the freedom to tailor our
children's education to best meet their needs.

If you cannot make the Live event, then the October Expo To Go is
just your ticket! You'll reserve MP3s from all of the workshops. This
week only, pay just $14.95!

You can visit here or here to get more information.

I breastfed, did you?

2010-08-07T13:56:00.003-04:00

If I advocate anything wholeheartedly, it is breastfeeding. Unpopular in my state, recently in the news down the road from where I live, moms are being banned to restaurant bathrooms to feed their babies the way they should be fed. The more we breastfeed our babies in public, and the more people see it, the more they will realize it's what's best. Breastfeeding is natural, beautiful, and the only way I would choose to feed my little guys.

Here's a video that was made for August, National Breastfeeding Month. Maybe the choice of wording isn't what you or I might use, but the message is important.

Video: "Breastfeeding Doesn't Suck!" Celeb PSA

Pass it on!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-18T14:17:00.001-04:00

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it Dad.

Anonymous

2010-06-13T13:57:00.000-04:00

A Review of the Review Process

2010-05-27T13:51:00.000-04:00

Over the past year, I have had the privilege of being a reviewer for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. I have reviewed all kinds of products, from an extensive collection of historical maps, to soap, to online preschool piano lessons. (You can see the complete list of what I reviewed over to the right in the sidebar.) I have experienced some great things. I've also had some difficult times. Unapologetically, I'd like to share some of my thoughts with you.

At the beginning of the year, each crew member (reviewer) was given a "first mate," as a mentor. I'm not 100 % certain, but I believe that person was there to answer questions, and encourage new reviewers throughout the year. The reason I'm not certain, is because I only conversed with my fm through emails a few times. I didn't ask that person a lot of questions, as I know she was very busy, just as I am. I know each of us has our own personal lives happening. I do wish, however, I'd been able to get to know her better, so that I might learn from her previous experience as a reviewer.

As a former-computer-problem-person, I think reviewers need to be told that there will be lots of e-products and online programs. I wish I'd been given the choice of receiving curriculum in ebook format OR printed version. I know the economy's tough on the vendors, just as it is on my family, but I am reviewing a product for them. I think they'd want my best review. And they would have, had I had a physical product in my hands. I did, by the way, work extra hard on those particular ones, even though a couple of them cut off my access to their site before my review was due. (I wish I'd had this new, faster computer in the beginning too!)

I was so glad there was a forum where the reviewers could meet others, ask questions and get answers. Being able to discuss things with other reviewers was the best part about my review period. It was nice to know what other reviewers thought about a product.

I had a little difficulty in posting my reviews. In order to post the link to my review, I needed to remember in which month I received the product. They were organized according to shipping date. I think maybe for future years, the products could be organized by due date, instead. That would have made posting much simpler.

Although it's nice to be able to see lots of different programs before you purchase one, I felt overwhelmed by math! Over the review period, I reviewed 8 math programs, 5 of them due in one month alone! It might be nice if products within one subject area were spread out over the 9 months. In fact, there may be a better way to spread out products in general. The reviewer would be able to concentrate on one item and give a more thorough review.

Overall, I am glad I was given this opportunity. Thank you to all the vendors who traded their goodies for my review. Thank you to TOS for bringing together this team of homeschoolers. I met some super ladies (and one gentleman) whom I might never have known. I am learning lots of new things about homeschooling. I have gained plenty of experience in multi-tasking (mommy, wife, teacher, business owner, cub scout leader, singer and the list goes on!). I hope I have been appreciated. Maybe I have inspired. I know I'm one exhausted lady on today, the last Friday of May. This is the conclusion of one stepping stone in my life's journey. Now I'll have to think of some things to blog about!

Thanks for reading.

Cerebellum

2010-05-26T14:55:00.000-04:00

It's been an exciting year being able to review some great products. For this final one, I'll tell you a bit about a DVD I reviewed.

From cerebellum corporation, I received Light Speed chemistry AP Exam Prep. Other than the fact that I abhorred chemistry, probably largely due to the icky teacher I had, I think this DVD would have helped me 17 years ago.

"This exam prep provides students with a comprehensive review of critical chemistry topics. Stoichiometry, Kinetics, Thermodynamics...the essentials are made easy and fun! "
It "...provides tips and strategies on passing the test, and gives insightful advance on writing the short-response answers. "

The two disc set also comes with a digital workbook on CD-ROM that includes handouts, quizzes and activities that reinforce the topics discussed on the video.

If you need this DVD, it'll help you to know that the topics are:

Atomic Theory and Structure
Chemical Bonding
Nuclear Chemistry
Gases
Stoichiometry
Equilibrium & Kinetics
Thermodynamics
and much more!

even though I haven't the faintest memory what those things are!

Should my children decide to learn chemistry, despite Mommy's distaste for the subject, I can see this video coming in handy. Energetic students (or actors that look about high school age!) present the components in the DVD, making it highly appealing. Here's an example.

If you're interested in Light Speed chemistry AP Exam Prep, you can purchase it for $14.98 right here. Oh, looks like it's on sale right now for $11.24! If you'd like to read what other reviewers thought, you can do that here.

Lobster Network

2010-05-18T14:20:00.000-04:00

Lobster Network is a one of a kind application that allows users to share, trade, sell and organize products of their choice. By setting up communities in Lobster Network with their friends and neighbors, users can expand their accessibility to almost any type of item. After joining the network users can search for any number of items to trade, borrow or buy. Users also have the ability to place items for sale to any other users (member or non-member).

What I have understood so far, is that you sign up for the free site, enter some of your personal belongings that you want to share, trade or sell. Then wait for someone to bite. While waiting, you can check out what others have to loan.

Although I think the idea of Lobster Network is a good one, so far, my access to the site for review purposes really hasn't done me much good.
I have heard that some users are sharing Lobster Network with their homeschool support groups, but I am not a part of a group. I do not have a huge network of connections. So for me, I'll be happy to pass the word along should I encounter someone, but Lobster Network just isn't for me at this time.

You'll find Lobster Network if you click right here. I suggest you read what the owner has to say too. She explains it quite well! If you'd like to read what other reviewers thought, just click the Crew graphic below.

I reviewed this product with no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.

Ideal Curriculum

2010-05-16T10:15:00.012-04:00

"Preschool Curriculum" is a niche market. Having a preschool/daycare in my home, I receive little pamphlets and brochures almost every other week with the newest resources available. As my review year is coming to a close with The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, I reviewed month one of Ideal Curriculum's Transportation theme kit.

Ideal Curriculum says on their website that each of their monthly curriculum kits include
"•Daily lessons and activities for literacy, math, calendar, oral language, and science/social studies

•Teaching guides
•Workbook
•Music CD
•Science, sight words, and concepts about print books
•Supplemental activities"

And the Skills Taught are

"•Letters and Sounds -Letter Names
•Phonological Awareness -Listening Skills
•Concepts About Print -Print is all Around
•Sight Words -Name Recognition
•Math -Rote Counting"

Ideal Curriculum would be great for a facility preschool teacher just starting out, that wants to provide the children a little something more than just daycare. She could pick and choose so that the children wouldn't have too much deskwork at their fragile age. A homeschooler might use this curriculum to supplement what she already uses, or just as a change for the little guy who wants to "do schoolwork" with his older brother.

The songs provided with the transportation kit were cute and Babyman (2) loved them. There are some printable pages for those who teach using worksheets. I really liked the real-photo books provided. However, I have so much stuff on my shelf like this already from my preschool teaching days, that I would not have purchased Ideal Curriculum.

You can order your Ideal Curriculum Kit here. My readers can get a 10% discount by using the code welovekids before May 31st. To read what other reviewers thought, go here.

I wrote this review in exchange for the product above. I did not receive compensation and the opinions are expressly my own.

Beeyoutiful

2010-05-05T08:33:00.001-04:00

In exchange for my review of their product, I received from Beeyoutiful a free eight ounce bottle of Berry Well.
From their website...
"Never fear the flu when you keep Berry Well on hand. Each ingredient in this pleasantly fruity syrup holds its own against flu, colds, and a swarm of bacterial and viral infections."
Those ingredients are elderberries, raw honey, bee propolis, organic echinacea and raw apple cider vinegar.

Now, there were several things that made me nervous about Berry Well right away.
1. I don't do liquids.

2. I have tried bee pollen capsules in the past and it seemed that they made my allergies worse.

3. Hero is allergic to bee stings.

4. I've never heard of this company.

5. I typically do lots of research before I try anything new.

My solution was to call my big sis. She's my natural remedy go-to-gal. She reassured me about many of my concerns. So I decided that Middleman and I would try Berry Well.

Although I have a very strong gag reflex (which is one reason I don't take cough syrups or any other medicinal liquid), my tablespoonful of Berry Well actually wasn't that bad. The elderberry flavor is quite tasty. However, the vinegar did turn my stomach a bit. Middleman (5) excitedly drank his teaspoonful and promptly asked for more. I hadn't planned for Babyman (2) to review the syrup, but he asked where his was, so I relented. He loved it.

We didn't take Berry Well "regularly" as I didn't really know how often that was supposed to be (although that info is not printed on the packaging, I did eventually find it on the website). We did try it several times, and the boys plenty more than me!

I received the suggestion to put Berry Well in a water bottle and I did that on one occasion for Middleman. He and his baby brother drank it together and enjoyed every minute of their "Berry Bottle."

For the most part, I felt like we were reviewing the taste of Berry Well. No one has been sick since we've been taking it, so I don't know if it's kept us healthy, or if we wouldn't have been sick anyway. It has not made my allergies worse, so that's good news. It really hasn't made the three of us feel any different.

I'm pretty novice when it comes to natural medicines, so it's hard for me to recommend something that didn't make me go "wow, we felt so great!" If you'd like to try Berry Well ($18 for an 8 ounce bottle-whew!), or any other product made by Beeyoutiful, check out their website. They have lots of products to choose from. If you'd like to read what other reviewers thought about Beeyoutiful, you can do that here.

Sue Gregg Cookbooks

2010-04-30T10:27:00.001-04:00

Unlike many homeschoolers, before I received one of her books, I had never heard of Sue Gregg and her healthy cookbooks. Luckily, I was given the opportunity to review Introducing Whole Foods Cooking. First of all, I wouldn't really consider Whole Foods Cooking to be a cookbook. To me, it's a teaching manual on how to change your eating lifestyle, and change your recipes to keep your family healthy.

Here's what's in the book.

Nutrition Basics including extensive info on on the nutritional value of of whole grains, nuts & seeds, fruits & veggies, oils, animal products, beverages and seasonings. Ms. Gregg also includes allergy information and coordinating Scripture.

Recipes and Menus which includes 26 whole foods recipes, suggested menus and nutritional charts.

Serving and Connecting

I've never seen a section like this in a cookbook. The ideas of how to pray at your table, how to bring Jesus to your meals and include songs, beauty and books are relatively new to me. I found the info in this section fascinating.

The Next Steps section discusses actually enjoying your food, and teaching your family unique ways to help you improve your recipes. She explains many ways to nutritionally improve current favorite recipes.

Menus for Weight Management offers Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner menus using the recipes from the book.

Food to Faith is a short Bible study.

The book also comes with a PowerPoint CD with great step-by-step photographed instructions.

Introducing Whole Foods Cooking has certainly taught me many things about food I did not know. I decided not to go all out and radically change our whole eating lifestyle, but to make small food changes a little bit at a time. In my city, there are specialty stores that sell some of the ingredients listed in the recipes. However, they are not all affordable. Also, my family must have small, unnoticeable changes when it comes to their food.

When we made the Blender Pancakes, we used the same old blender we've had for years, and our trusty skillet. My family did not enjoy my choice of brown rice as an ingredient. I hope to try the recipe several more times with different grains. I'm not advocating lying to my family, but they'll do much better when I don't tell them exactly what I'm making. Is it so bad if they don't know it's good for them? The Parmesan Chicken Nuggets were simple, and were a huge hit. We love tacos, so the Taco Chip O'le was yummy. Unfortunately, I have a very choosy eater. So I simply could not serve most of the recipes that contained an obvious fruit or vegetable.

Overall, I really enjoyed Introducing Whole Foods Cooking. But I wish that I'd had it before I had children, so that I might have started off on the right foot!

To order your Introducing Whole Foods Cooking for $17, go here.

If you'd like to read what others thought about Sue Gregg's cookbooks, you can click on the picture below.

This product was given to me free of charge in exchange for my review. The opinions are expressly my own, and I did not receive compensation.

Lesson Planet

2010-04-29T17:06:00.008-04:00

Lesson Planet, a "search engine for teachers," allows educators to search "over 225,000+ ... online lesson plans and worksheets." Your searches can be narrowed down by keyword, grade level, overall rating, subject, theme and state standards.

I have used Lesson Planet over the last few weeks to search for various plans and printables, with topics including Easter, the water cycle, endangered species and natural resources. Although Lesson Planet brought up many different websites for me to choose from, I still found myself searching for appropriate plans and worksheets for us. I found that I had to pick a little from this one, a bit from that one, to make it fit exactly what I needed. I think it's nice to be able to search by grade level, but I quickly learned that wouldn't work for me. What your typical public school educator thinks is on point for a third grader doesn't always work for my "third grader." By leaving all the search filters open, I had much better success.

If you're a public school teacher, this site might be very helpful. If you're a homeschooler, it's great to be able to pull up lessons that fit your state's "standards" so you can steer clear!

You can try Lesson Planet for free for 10 days. If you'd like to subscribe, the cost is $39.95 a year. For me, I'd rather search the net and put together exactly what I want for free! If you'd care to read what other reviewers had to say, click the pic below.

Super Star Speech

2010-04-22T13:26:00.008-04:00

"The Super Star Speech materials have been designed by a speech-language-pathologist to assist parents in helping their children achieve developmentally appropriate speech and to provide some of the necessary resources to do speech therapy at home. The focus of these books is the correction of articulation (speech sound) errors." That said, feel free to click the link and check out Ms. Lott's website. She has lots of info on her Speech program.

Ms. Deborah Lott also offers Super Star Games for homeschooling enrichment and those are what I reviewed. These well thought out games are perfect additions to Science, Geography and History unit studies.

The Inventors Game was probably our favorite, as it gave us a jumping off point for a small unit study about inventors. We were able to use the famous people and their inventions to come up with a list of library books we needed to read. After printing and mounting on card stock, we cut out all the inventor, invention, and date cards (24 of each). We played a memory game, cards were placed face down on the table and turned over to find a match. We were somewhat successful (at least with the ones we already knew), but learned that we need to study inventors a bit more!

Silly Snail is a parts of speech game, that has been perfect for my third grader in his grammar studies. Road to Revolution is an American Revolution board/dice game that we mounted on a file folder to play. It's the perfect time of year for the Insects and Climb the Vine games, where you'll learn all about insect parts and plants.

We also reviewed Colony Quest (a fun game about the 13 original American colonies), Covering the Continents (a fact-filled geography game), Explorers of the World (a matching and timeline game, and fantastic supplement to a study of explorers), Exploring Egypt, Planets, Moon and Stars (a quiz game with great graphics) and All About Animals (we learned even more new things!).

Although I have primarily played these games with Butterbean (8), Middleman (5) loves games and most of them can be adapted for his age.

The enrichment games contain everything you need to print out and play. You may need to add a die, or a file folder. You'll need to cut out your cards once you've printed them on card stock. And for us, some of them, we've chosen to color in, as we printed them in black and white (cheaper!).

Super Star Games are available to download at Currclick for $3.50 each. I think they're a steal! Thank you so much Ms. Lott for allowing me this opportunity! We have loved your games, and I'm thankful all I had to do was cut and paste!

If you'd like to read what other reviewers thought about Super Star Speech or Super Star Games, click the banner below.

I wrote this review in exchange for free copies of Super Star Games. The opinions are my own, and I was not compensated.

Alphabet Beats

2010-04-18T14:20:00.002-04:00

Alphabet Beats "are fun, educational videos that teach children how to write the alphabet quickly and easily...using a multi-sensory approach of visual demonstrations and rhythmic chants." Ok, so I was more than a little skeptical when, in the intro to Alphabet Beats, the ladies said my child would "love Ms. Marnie." I am about to admit, that, in fact, Babyman (2) did love Ms. Marnie! Middleman (5), who this review was intended for, was not as thrilled with the "teacher," but he did enjoy Alphabet Beats. Butterbean (8) had to be excused from the room, because of his compulsion to be a typical eight year old boy!Middleman wasn't aware that you're supposed to watch one 5 minute letter segment at a time, and he wanted to watch the whole thing in one fail swoop. Being the mostly-child-let-fab-teacher-mama that I am, I longed for a "play all" button. But alas, there isn't one. So, after teaching my five year old how to click on the letters himself to start each segment, I sat down and relaxed to watch the video too.

Ms. Marnie is definitely funny to my 2 and 5 year old viewers. They laughed as she wore a veil and went "off to Vegas" (v). I'm not sure if I was excited or not having to explain what a belly dancer was for b. And they informed me that water was wasted during the washing of hands for w. I was pretty concerned that for m, marshmallow was misspelled.

Middleman asks to watch Alphabet Beats often, pulling out his dry erase markers and board to practice his letters. He occasionally uses the rhymes from Alphabet Beats. He sometimes disagrees with the rhymes, and tells me that's not how he does it! There were a few rhymes I didn't quite get either, like those for s,w and p. Babyman will often be heard chanting "up ound, ittle a."

Overall, we have really enjoyed Alphabet Beats, and I know my littles will continue to watch it. As for teaching Middleman to write, I can't give that credit to Alphabet Beats. I still think he learns better with one-on-one Mommy instruction, and Alphabet Beats has not made him any more interested in writing than he was before. However, the program has given me little tips for teaching printing, at least for some of the letters. Thankfully, I received the DVD to try out, because I probably would not have purchased it myself. It's a little expensive for our budget.
You can download free activity sheets and lined writing paper that go with the videos here. For a demo, click here. You can purchase Uppercase or Lowercase Alphabet Beats for $35 each. Or purchase the set of both for $64.99.

If you'd like to read what other reviewers thought, you can do that right here.

In exchange for my review, I received a free copy of the DVD Alphabet Beats writing lower case letters. I received no other compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are my own.

Time 4 Learning

2010-04-12T14:12:00.014-04:00

Middleman was so excited when he first sat down to help me review Time 4 Learning.

Time 4 Learning is an interactive "online curriculum for pre-K to 8th grades." When you subscribe, you'll have "access to 1,000+ Student-Paced Lessons, Math & Algebra Tutorials
& Worksheets, Language Arts, Phonics & Grammar Lessons, Science & Social Studies for Most Grades, Detailed Reporting for Easy Record-Keeping," and "Lessons Correlated to State Standards."

To Middleman, who assisted my review of the preschool level, all the above mouthful just added up to lots of fun! Time 4 Learning has been a great supplement to our everyday learning. He began his journey with 20 different preschool themes to choose from (colors, shapes, numbers, food, vehicles for example). After choosing an area, Middleman could read along with a story, answer questions, write his own stories, or play a variety of games. He also took advantage of the idea book, that gives suggestions for hands on activities. He had fun making colored ice cubes and putting them in his water!

Time 4 Learning has a parent resource section as well. There, I found the Getting Started guide, which gave me suggestions for how to use the program. The lesson planning section might be helpful for parents that aren't sure what portion of the program to use each day. I didn't use it at all for the preschool level. I did peek at a few of the other levels' plans, and those would probably come in handy for us.

A parent is supposed to be able to view a child's progress. Although I didn't find that on the preschool level, I'm assuming that it's there on the other levels. I think preschool is pretty new, so maybe that part is under construction!

We have really enjoyed our review period with Time 4 Learning. I wish I had been able to review other levels in addition to preschool. Middleman really liked the learning games with their cool sound effects and very well done graphics.

If you'd like to subscribe to Time 4 Learning, you can sign up right here. They offer a two-week money back guarantee if you're not satisfied. If you want to see some demos of the program first, just click here.

I received a free 30 day trial subscription to Time 4 Learning's preschool in exchange for this review. The opinions expressed herein are my own. I was not compensated in any other manner.

Terrestria Chronicles

2010-04-03T14:24:00.000-04:00

Hero (my hubby and homeschool Daddy) and I are editors. There have been many books that we think are important to read aloud to our children. Sometimes, however, the writer's choice of wording must be changed slightly in order to be appropriate for our family. It's not unlikely in our house to walk by the door and hear that a ferocious lion has injured or wounded his prey, rather than killed him. We are very cautious about the subject matter that we choose for our three precious boy minds. Sometimes, especially when dealing with the classics, for example, it's imperative for the book to be read aloud, instead of handing the child the book, in order to protect their young minds and hearts.

"The Terrestria Chronicles allegory series was written with a three-fold purpose: to honor Jesus Christ as King, to challenge young readers to love and serve Him, and to teach them to guard their hearts for Him. The focus of the series is always on the King. " Now I think that's a noble cause if ever there was one, however...

After reading the first two paragraphs of chapter one outloud from The Sword, The Ring and The Parchment, I emphatically decided that this book is not appropriate as a read-aloud for my children. In fact, I came to the conclusion, that I, alone would review the first two books in The Terrestria Chronicles series.

The reason for my decision: Chapter 1. Ed Dunlop goes into great detail describing the horror of being a slave to, who else, but the devil. This allegory by Ed Dunlop, goes on to tell the story of a young man learning to live his life serving King Emmanuel. Now, after laying down the background of the young Josiah, the book does get better. I have really enjoyed the second book, The Quest for the Seven Castles. It tells of the travels of young Josiah, who is tested many times over by King Emmanuel. In fact, I can see allowing my boys to read the books after they turn, maybe 13 or so.

Now remember, I agreed to write this review in exchange for free copies of the two books. The opinions expressed are mine. You may or may not agree. You can read excerpts as well as purchase each of these books for $7.99 by going here. If you'd care to read what other reviewers thought, simply click the banner below.

All About Reading

2010-04-03T10:50:00.000-04:00

One of the hardest things for me as a mommy is to see my boys arguing. However, and don't take this the wrong way, but there's something almost special about them fighting over a book. So when this piece of art came in the mail, and the boys were "Mine, all mine." "No, it's mine, just like the first one," I had to smile on the inside while reprimanding on the outside. We have had the priviledge of reviewing the newest reader in the All About Reading series. You may remember my review of the All About Spelling Program and the Beehive Reader (being retitled Cobweb the Cat). What Am I contains ten wonderfully illustrated short stories that fall right in line with All About Spelling's Level 2 curriculum. However, you certainly don't have to own AAS to enjoy this hardback reader.

This book is sturdy and the pages are well made for beginning readers. The stories are interesting. They're not stories you'd find in your average reader. They hold my boys' attention, even Butterbean, who's not a beginner anymore! And I must stress that the illustrations are beautiful. They are what captured my attention the most.
Middleman loved finding out what happened when
"... a boy visits an elf in the Alps
...a broken robot throws figs
...a smelly musk ox goes for a swim
...a family of skunks moves into the shed
...a bunch of snakes escape their cages"
I knew What Am I had to be good when my boys argued over who it belongs to. I can't promise that yours will fight over it, but I do believe they'll enjoy reading it! If you want to read what other reviewers thought, go here. If you want to order What Am I, you can go to the All About Reading website right here.

Family Mint

2010-04-01T13:58:00.000-04:00

Family Mint is a web based money appreciation program. It's "a mixture between a personal money management tool and an online bank." From their website...

Kids manage their money by setting goals and entering transactions.

Parents motivate through interest rates they set, ...automated allowances... and matching deposits. It's a fun system that makes it easy to see... where money came from, how much they have... and what they want to use it for.

So basically, if children earn an allowance, receive gifts of money, or have money through other means, you can enter their totals into your Family Mint family bank. Then as they use money, you can track it together through the parent and kid interfaces.

I think the concept is a good idea. However, money really doesn't exchange hands around here. We haven't gotten much use out of the Family Mint program thus far. I can see how it might work should my children ever handle their own money and need to learn to manage it.
Find out more for yourself here. The membership is free! Read what other reviewers thought here.

Children's Bible Hour

2010-03-22T13:26:00.007-04:00

From Children's Bible Hour Ministries, we received the Seasons of Faith illustrated picture book series. As I had never heard of Children's Bible Hour, I flipped through the books myself, and then we listened to the recordings while following along.

My boys loved listening to these stories. Titled Race With Midnight, You Can't Come In, Seventy Times Seven and Braving the Storm, the books "encourage children to learn about their faith in God." The narration was well done, and we really enjoyed the illustrations.

Through the innocence of young children, these stories share the message of faith in God, Salvation, forgiveness and God's love. Each book concludes with a page about Salvation, using Bible Scripture for reference.

Each softcover book costs $10 and you can read lots more about them here. If you order your Seasons of Faith book set before April 15th (my tenth wedding anniversary!) you can get free standard shipping. Just use the code FREESHIPAPR15 when you order. If you would like to read what other reviewers thought, you can do that here.

I received these books free of charge in exchange for my review.

2010-03-15T18:36:00.000-04:00

If you're looking for homeschool encouragement, resources, and fun, check out all that is going on at The Old Schoolhouse!

Right now March Madness and Win Big are going on in the Schoolhouse Store. During March Madness, over 240 items are 10 to 40 percent off!

Then, if you're customer 139,000, 139,500, or 140,000, you will win over $348 in prizes. Prizes include a 5 year subscription to TOS (U.S.
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The BIGGEST news of all--The Schoolhouse Expo is coming in May!
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Are you intimidated by the idea of teaching middle school and high school, those dreaded, advanced courses? Would some encouraging words and motivational Scripture help you on your way?

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Get the details and preregister here.

Homeschool Library Builder

2010-03-10T13:48:00.006-05:00

Hero denied my request to line the hallway with bookshelves. Yes dear, I know it's a fire hazard. We're running out of places to stack them, though! Should I ever have a house big enough to line the walls with bookshelves (I've always dreamed of having a home library.), I would have absolutely no problem filling them up.

If you ever have the desire to make a library in your home, or just want to find a good deal on books, check out Homeschool Library Builder. Created by homeschool moms, the company
is "geared toward serving homeschoolers and others who use excellent literature to educate."

They offer plenty of books (from curriculum such as Sonlight, Tapestry of Grace, Ambleside, Five in a Row, Beautiful Feet, and others), and a book search feature, to hunt down those out of stock books or books they don't carry.

Homeschool Library Builder offers free product marketing to members. Throughout the year they preview and select websites for the current season or holiday and also provide links to some favorite homeschool sites.

Through a program called Helping Hand, Homeschool Library Builder has a "specially designated category of books whereby all money goes to helping others." They also offer a frequent buyer points program to members.

The best part... membership is FREE! So please, check out Homeschool Library Builder today.

I received no compensation for writing this review.

2010-03-09T16:54:00.004-05:00

Math Galaxy

2010-03-03T14:23:00.008-05:00

Was I excited about yet another math review? Not necessarily. But that is indeed what I received! The Galaxy of Education allowed me to download several of their Math Galaxy products for free, however, so I couldn't complain! Here is what they offered in exchange for my review.

Whole Numbers Fun

Fractions Fun

Decimals, Proportions, % Fun

Word Problem Fun

Pre Algebra Fun

Algebra Fundamentals

As Whole Numbers Fun is geared toward first through fourth grades, we decided to focus on that one. From the creators "Math Galaxy starts from the beginning, with addition and multiplication tables and single-digit operations, but its main focus is on where children start having trouble with math: multi-step problem-solving... Math Galaxy Whole Numbers Fun is a comprehensive math tutorial that is like having an interactive textbook and your own private tutor, with explanations, practice and games that cover whole number operations, including place value, rounding and estimating, patterns and number sequences, word problems, time, money, graphs, probability, and geometry concepts appropriate for lower grades, including length, area and volume."

Having already taken several math programs on a test run, Butterbean did not find Math Galaxy interesting. Now don't get me wrong, this program definitely has value. My 8 year old would learn from the tutorials and games, if I forced him to give it a chance! Unfortunately, for this particular product, he is a bells and whistles kind of learner. If a game isn't sparkly, he won't stay with it for long. I think for some, Math Galaxy may be a little shiny, but there's just not enough action for my little ball of energy!

I can see how Math Galaxy would work for some families. There are lots of worksheet-type-but cooler activities to choose from, including fun little games and riddles. The program is well laid out, and could be used supplementally for many years. But sadly, for now anyway, it just isn't our cup of tea! Don't take my word for it, judge for yourself. You can purchase Whole Numbers Fun for $29.95 here. If you'd care to read what other reviewers thought, you can do that too.

Homeschool in the Woods

2010-03-02T14:48:00.006-05:00

I have conducted many a web search for printable maps. So, of course, I was thrilled when I received a massive collection of maps to review from Homeschool in the Woods.

"It is our desire to encourage, through a variety of hands-on, visual ways, an excitement and love of learning history that leaves a student itching to know more! Mapping through history is crucial, as it helps a child determine "where" the topic of study takes place. It creates an anchor point, allowing the child to understand the topic in context to its climate, politics, and geography."

Old World Style Modern and Historical United States Maps (a set of over 180 maps) has three types of printable maps for each state (labeled, unlabeled or an outline). There are several historical maps dating back to Colonial America. Present day physical and political maps of the US are included as well. And then, there are state fact notebooking pages for every single United State and full color flag pictures too! I'd love to have the flags in black and white, but didn't find those in my offering. Old World Style Modern and Ancient World Maps (over 130 maps) almost contains too much for me to even describe! It is perfect for an historical study, as there are printable maps from ancient China, Egypt, Palestine and Rome (and many more). Modern day maps are there from all seven continents plus oceans. There are more than 40 different notebooking pages where students can describe people of the past, flora and fauna of certain countries and even note a country's distinctive food using the recipe cards provided. (Those are just a few examples.)

I have already used some of the state maps for my Cub Scout den, along with a few notebooking pages. As my boys grow, these maps will be perfect for our History and Geography notebooks.
The best part is, I don't think I'll have to do a web search for a map for a long time!

To download your Old World Style maps for just $18.95 each or $28.95 for both US and World, please go here. (You can get CDs for $19.95 and $29.95) If you'd like to read what other reviewers had to say, you can do that here.

Please note, this product was given to me free of charge in exchange for my review. I received no additional compensation.

The Critical Thinking Company

2010-03-02T14:37:00.012-05:00

I have been receiving this catalog for about a year now, and I always enjoy browsing through and marking up a wish list. I was excited to receive a book from The Critical Thinking Company to review.

Their "award winning products have helped students of all abilities achieve better grades and higher test scores with highly effective lessons that sharpen the mind..." They are "committed to developing children's critical thinking skills for better grades, higher test scores, and success in life."

Just because I question their mission statement, doesn't mean I can't love their products, at least this one! I received Balance Benders (beginning level for 2-6 graders), a Logic and Algebraic Reasoning Puzzles book. Now, typically, I am really excited about receiving things to review by snail mail. But upon opening this book, I thought for sure I had missed the critical thinking boat. Hero (Daddy) and Butterbean (8) cracked open this puppy at the kitchen table and proceeded to whiz right through the first twelve puzzles. Every now and again, Hero would ask Butterbean to explain the problem to Mommy! This softcover book, Balance Benders contains 40 pages of puzzles that involve basic algebraic concepts. But trust me, your child doesn't have to be studying algebra to try them out. Butterbean is eight (3rd grade) and he and Hero truly enjoyed this little book!

We will surely use Balance Benders for a while to come, as there are some puzzles Butterbean has trouble with! Print out and try a page before you buy, or go ahead and order Balance Benders for $9.99. There are several levels, and you can check them all out right here.
And remember to read what other reviewers thought by clicking the banner below.

Artistic Pursuits

2010-03-02T14:26:00.013-05:00

Artistic Pursuits..... ahhhh what a breath of fresh air for my homeschool. I have neither reviewed an art program, nor used an art curriculum in my homeschool. Being the creative teacher that I am, I've never had a shortage of ideas for art. Some ideas have been my own, some learned through teaching preschool in the past, some gleaned from the numerous online websites.

Artistic Pursuits is an "award winning homeschool art program..." that "encourages students to observe the world around them and choose their own subjects." I reviewed Book Two for grades K-3, Stories of Artists and Their Art. It "focuses on unique projects, which give students opportunities to make original works of art."

Through creative fictional stories and art activities, my students have the opportunity to learn about Cimabue, Giotto, Limbourg, Van Eyck, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Anguissola, Durer, Bruegel, Parmigianino, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Fragonard, Turner and Millet. They have created scratch art, frescoes, watercolor paintings, sculptures and carvings. This curriculum has been as much of a learning experience for teacher-mama as for my students!

Take a look at a sample lesson here. You can purchase Artistic Pursuits Grades K-3 Book Two for $42.95. You can read about what other reviewers had to say about Artistic Pursuits here.

I received no compensation for my review of this product.

Graphics-Toolbox

2010-03-02T13:45:00.011-05:00

Great Software Tools has been kind enough to give me a copy of Graphics-Toolbox in exchange for my review of the product. In a nutshell, Graphics-Toolbox is a computer aided graphic design software that can be used to create a myriad of things, whether for school, home or business.

As a homeschool Mama, preschool teacher, writer and avid crafter (when I have time), I have thought myself to be pretty creative. I have never, however, had a talent for drawing, and when I first took a look at Graphics-Toolbox, I was absolutely lost! I have never used a computer graphics program and really have never needed to use one.

Through online tutorials and a clearly written manual, I discovered that there are some pretty cool things that can be done with Graphics-Toolbox. Really, the only thing holding you back is your imagination; or your child's imagination, as the program is suitable for children as well.

When you use Graphics-Toolbox, you'll have all the tools you need to create:

customized greeting cards

business fliers

unique school projects

enhanced photos that stand out from the crowd

wearable designs

and much much more!

Graphics-Toolbox has the potential to be a really cool program for my family. Unfortunately, we haven't had the necessary time to sit down and play with it much. That's what it takes too, playing with it. And playing with it some more. It takes a while to learn all of the functions (there are a ton of them!) that this program offers. Then there's coming up with a project to make. I'm sure if I had a project I needed to make, I'd figure out the program. There are plenty of examples on the Graphics-Toolbox website.

I am excited to delve into all that Graphics-Toolbox has to offer. I know the program will become useful in our homeschool, and for my home daycare as well. Who knows, I may even think of some projects to do for Cub Scouts!

You can download Graphics-Toolbox for $149. You can try it out first for free for thirty days. But don't expect to learn it all in that 30 days, I know I didn't! Visit Great Software Tools to learn more. Please read what others had to say here.

Math Mammoth

2010-02-23T12:22:00.014-05:00

Math Mammoth, written by Maria Miller has been my latest math review quest. This is the first math curriculum review that I've been able to print out, so I'm pretty excited about it!

Math Mammoth offers four different color-coded series of books. The Light Blue series is a grade-leveled complete math curriculum. The Blue series contains shorter worktexts for various topics. The Golden and Green series are worksheet collections for third to eighth graders.

As recommended by Ms. Miller, Butterbean (8, boy) took a couple of placement tests and together we decided upon the Grade 3 complete worktext from the Light Blue series. Both parts contain all the lesson materials and exercises, and include the explanations of the concepts. Each chapter has an introduction to assist the teacher, that includes a list of online links.

Part A covers Addition and Subtraction Strategies, Multiplication Concept, Multiplication Tables, Clock and Money. Part B teaches Place Value with Thousands, Geometry, Measuring, Division, More on Multiplication and Fractions. The e-version that I downloaded also came with lots of support materials; geometry cut-outs, cumulative reviews with answer keys for each chapter, tests, extra chapters on Canadian and European money, and an awesome worksheet generator.

As we take several days to complete each lesson, we are not very far along in the worktext. Butterbean has been working at a third grade level this year, but we have found Math Mammoth to be challenging. He has learned many new math concepts, and has also had plenty of review! Math Mammoth has, happily, taken over as our math curriculum. We plan to complete all of Grade 3.

I had some concerns with Middleman (5, boy) as I've never done written math work with him. But he insisted "Mommy, I want to review something too!!!" Ms. Miller was kind enough to send me Addition 1 to try out with him. He has loved playing the suggested games with Butterbean. We have looked through the Addition 1 worktext, and have used manipulatives while looking at the written problems (with pictures). We have not done any written math work with Middle, though. I am excited to use this worktext over the next couple years with him. I know he'll enjoy it!

Overall, Math Mammoth has been a great fit for my family. Ms. Miller has been a wonderful advisor, and the program itself is terrific! You can download Grade 3 parts A and B for $29.70. If you want to order printed copies, you can do that too. The supportive materials are sold separately for $14.

Please read what other reviewers had to say by clicking the banner below.

I received the above materials free of charge, and reviewed them with no compensation.

Beehive Reader 1

2010-02-16T13:21:00.006-05:00

Would it be okay, do you think, to say that a book is precious? It's certainly not an oft used word in my vocabulary, but I would definitely use it to describe Beehive Reader 1 that Ms. Marie Rippel sent me to review. This little book corresponds to the All About Spelling program that I reviewed in December. But you certainly don't need to own them both to use either one!

Middleman (newly 5) is learning how to read. We are slowly working our way through a reading program. From the time he could hold one, he has flipped through the pages of many a book. Even though he is not an independent reader yet, he has no problem picking up a random book (be it full of pictures, or the King James Version of the bible with no illustrations!) and looking through it for long periods of time. Thus far, he hasn't been interested in the early readers we've found at the library. Although there are a few exceptions, they are generally too juvenile and chock full of "cheese."

So it was no surprise that I was not the only one in our house to appreciate the beautiful hard-cover Beehive Reader 1. Ms. Rippel has done an amazing job telling short stories in this well- made-not-your-run-of-the-mill-reader! Middleman can read quite a few of the words on his own. And once we start using All About Spelling with him, he'll be reading the Beehive with no trouble.

Ms. Renee LaTulippe has provided beautiful black and white illustrations that pull the reader right into the story. There is no shortage of detail in these one-of-a-kind pictures. I cannot wait to see the other readers in this series, which will be out this year!

To order your copy of this well made Beehive Reader, check out the website! If you'd like to read more reviews, you can do that too!

I received the book for free and provided my review without compensation.

Zeezok Publishing

2010-02-15T13:36:00.013-05:00

I was given the chance to review two neat little books from Zeezok Press.

Stephen Foster And his Little Dog Tray and

Edward MacDowell and His Cabin in the Pines both arrived, free, on my doorstep. Both books are part of Zeezok's Great Musician Series. The books are "biographies of the Master Composers written especially for children." I also received a study guide for each book and a companion CD that includes sample music of the composers, printable sheet music and coloring pages.

The books are written in story format. We learned so much more reading these well written books than if we'd checked out a biography from the library. In fact, until reading these two charming stories, we've been quite bored with reading about composers! Both books were written so that my third grader could easily read them independently, or to his two little brothers. But all the boys much preferred listening to me read them!

The study guides start off with a timeline and map of major cities of interest to the composer. In the following pages, there are reading comprehension questions, character qualities (wow, very cool!), and tidbits of interest pertaining to each chapter. There are several ways to order these little gems. You can purchase items separately (books for $12.95, study guides $4.95, CD $7.95). Or you can purchase the whole kit and kaboodle (just what I received) for $35.80.

And, of course, you can always read other opinions by clicking below.

The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling

2010-02-14T15:33:00.010-05:00

From Apologia Press, I received a brand new copy of The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell in the mail to review. I have tried really hard not to be, but I'll admit, I am a dog-ear-er, and this book has already been dog-eared to pieces!

I read the original of The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling several years ago, when I first decided to homeschool. This updated version has really put the oomph back into my teacher-step! Whether you are a newbie or a veteran, the Guide has something for everyone.

Some of my favorite sections are teaching more than one child at once, determining my child's learning style, homeschooling on a shoestring, the extensive list of library books, and setting up my learning environment. Ms. Bell shares stories from the trenches. She gives plenty of suggested readings, websites of interest, and loads of resources. There's even a companion website that has oodles more info!

The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling will undoubtedly be a much used reference in my home. Not only has it given me renewed inspiration, but it has reminded me just how thankful I am to be a homeschooler! Get your copy now for just $20.

Care to read what my fellow reviewers had to say about the book? Click the banner below.

Ray's Arithmetic

2010-02-14T10:19:00.007-05:00

From Dollar Homeschool, I received Ray's Arithmetic, a "complete K-12 math curriculum, from counting to calculus." Originally created to be used by frontier Americans, Ray's Arithmetic books are "designed to allow children, once they can read, to educate themselves..."

I was immediately drawn to these gems, as my family loves old books. As there was no physical way to read all 38 books in the few short weeks I reviewed Ray's Arithmetic, I chose to print out one, in particular, and use it with the boys. (If you want to see a list of those 38 books, you can click here.)

I chose Ray's Primary Artithmetic. It covers addition, subtraction, mulitplication and division using lots (and lots) of word problems. Granted, the 1877 language is quite different than the word problems the boys have been used to, we have discovered new ways of learning math problems. We haven't written down much of anything. Most of the learning has been done orally.

At the time of this review, I was reviewing several math programs. Once the review period is over, I plan to revisit Ray's Arithmetic to use as a supplemental curriculum. I think there is something magical in these old treasures, and I am excited to delve into them even more!

You can purchase a CD of Ray's Arithmetic for $59 dollars, with a money back guarantee. Check out Dollar Homeschool's website to learn just exactly why they are interested in bringing back classic American education!

As usual, if you'd like to see what other reviewers think about Ray's Arithmetic, click on the banner below!

Math Tutor DVD

2010-02-08T10:42:00.006-05:00

I received two DVDs to review for Math Tutor DVD. The first, The Basic Math Word Problem Tutor is a two DVD set that is composed of an eight hour video course. The contents are

Adding Whole Numbers

Subtracting Whole Numbers

Multiplying Whole Numbers

Dividing Whole Numbers

Adding Decimals

Subtracting Decimals

Multiplying Decimals

Dividing Decimals

Adding Fractions

Subtracting Fractions

Multiplying Fractions

Dividing Fractions

Percents

Ratio and Proportion

The DVD is recorded in basic lecture format, with the teacher talking to the audience, using his white board for written example problems. The video was great review for Mommy, and I could see myself using it to brush up my skills before teaching the boys. However, it is not at all appropriate for my active learners, who would much rather jump on the trampoline while reciting multiplication facts! (Although, I suppose they could jump while watching this DVD.)

The second DVD, Young Minds Numbers and Counting was perfect for Babyman (2), Babybug (1) and Little A (2 1/2). I cannot say enough good things about this adventure in numbers and counting. From the moment the photographs appeared on the screen, and the classical music began playing, their little eyes were peeled. Babyman shouted out numbers as the animals and vehicles made their way into his line of vision. The real life photos were gorgeous, the graphics attention-grabbing. We would definitely purchase this DVD had we not received it as a gift!

If you'd like to read what other reviewers thought about Math Tutor DVD, please click the banner below. If you'd like to purchase the DVDs ($26.99 for Basic Math Word Problems, $19.99 for Young Minds), you can do so here.

Worship Guitar

2010-02-04T17:46:00.012-05:00

I had the opportunity to view Jean Welles Worship Guitar Class for Kids. Through online streaming video, my five year old and I learned a lot about this instrument that is not as mysterious as we had once thought.

Here's what your child should learn:

how to hold down a note to get a clear tone on the guitar
melody plucking to strengthen his hands
half a dozen worship songs she can sing and play
eleven guitar chords
how to read guitar tabs and chords charts
how to make up his own verses to songs
Christian values from each song

I really liked the fact that Ms. Welles uses a seven year old in her lessons. It helps my children and I see that it is possible, even for us, to play the guitar! The lessons are slow, concise and very easy to follow. Close-ups are used to better see what each hand is doing. Due to my obvious computer difficulites, I wish I had been able to review the DVD version, as I am sure we'd continue using it!

When you purchase the program, you'll receive a two and a half hour DVD with nine lessons, a 30+ page downloadable eBook, a practice session for every lesson, and a practice chart. The program costs $29.97 and comes with a money back guarantee. If you click here, you can get the first thirteen pages of the book for free as well as view a short excerpt. You also have the option of getting the program through online streaming video, like us, for $28. I think Jean Welles Worship Guitar Class for Kids is an amazing program, well worth its price. Had I purchased the program myself, I would have ordered the DVD version.

Click below to read more reviews!

Kinderbach

2010-02-02T19:14:00.002-05:00

Kinderbach is a video based piano curriculum for children ages 3-7. Through fun games, printables, colorful video and adorable characters, young children learn to "actually play piano, read notes, learn intervals, rhythm and music patterns.

I was given free access to the online Kinderbach Learning Center. The first day we opened the lessons, six children, ages 9 months to seven years crowded around my computer screen. Middleman (now 5), Babyman (now 2) and Babybug (now 1) were absolutely mesmerized by the music and video. Although Middleman (my target for this program) wasn't interested in coloring any of the printables, he was very into dragging out our keyboard every day and getting down to the business of learning to play the piano!

Kinderbach can be purchased as Piano Lessons Online or Piano by DVD. As I have too many computer problems to mention, if I were to order Kinderbach myself, I would definitely purchase the DVD version. At $95.98 for a Year Membership, you'll receive access to twenty two hours of video and interactive coloring pages (online). If you just want to check out the program, you can get a one day pass for $5.95.

I think Kinderbach had the potential to be a wonderful program for my family. I only wish I could have requested DVDs! If you'd like to read what other reviewers have to say, click on the banner below.

factsfirst

2010-01-31T13:50:00.012-05:00

factsfirst is a personalized online math program that "...builds a child's confidence and helps develop instant recall of basic facts..." As part of my review period for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, I was given a free trial subscription to factsfirst.

After creating a character, my boys' favorite part, (and I must say my character turned out pretty cute too!) we proceeded to the lessons. Within those units, there are more than 360 activities that teach, encourage and challenge our growing knowledge of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Following each lesson, we had the opportunity to play games in the arcade for five minutes. Through colorful graphics, and fun sound effects, the games reinforce what we've just learned.

Through the Math Matrix, we can see how well we've done so far, and where we need to work some more.

My family loves factsfirst. The program was very engaging. Our growing interest in math has been increased since using factsfirst. It's been fun for our whole family; even Mommy! If I could make one suggestion to the company, it would be to add a preschool/kindergarten section. Middleman (just turned five) enjoys watching the lessons and playing the games, but gets a bit frustrated when he cannot give correct answers every time!

Don't just take my word for it. Check out what other reviewers have to say!

factsfirst offers a free demo on their website. I would recommend checking it out! For a one year household license, which covers four children, you'll pay $49.99.

Mathscore

2010-01-31T12:25:00.006-05:00

I was given a free trial subscription to Mathscore for review purposes. Mathscore is an online math practice program for students between first grade and algebra. Some of the third grade topics are

Fast Addition

Understanding Multiplication

Basic Word Problems

Rounding Numbers

Unit Cost

Time Conversion

The cost for the program is $14.95 for the first student, $5 for the second and $3.95 for each student thereafter. You can view demos here.

In my family, we prefer our supplemental computer work to have lots of graphics, sound effects and a general feeling of "mommy can I play that!" Unfortunately, with Mathscore, we did not get that. The program is very worksheet oriented, which was not hugely appealing to us. I ended up using it more than my 8 and 5 year old boys. It actually helped reinforce my math skills so that I might be able to teach my little guys better! I did notice that they had made some changes for the better, between the times that I logged in. So it does appear the program may work better for my students later on.

Please read what other reviewers had to say here. And check out the Mathscore website here.

Keyboarding for the Christian School

2010-01-16T15:09:00.006-05:00

Ah, typing; one of my favorite subjects... literally! I would absolutely love to get paid to type. If anyone knows how I might get started, please let me know! I am so thankful for the typing class that I was compelled to take in high school. I might never have been able to edit Hero's writing assignments if I hadn't (sorry, Babe, even you admit you're a terrible typist!).

All that is said because, I am thrilled that Keyboarding for the Christian School was made available for me to review. I was given two levels of the program. The first for kindergarten to fifth grade, and the second for sixth grade and up.

The elementary version covers

Touch Typing Technique

Alphabetic Keys

Numbers and Symbol Keys

Number Pad

Centering

Enumerated Lists

Timed Writings

Timing Scale

The upper level covers all of the above plus:

Tab Key

MLA Reports

APA Reports

Cover Page

Works Cited

Bibliography

Personal-Business Letters

Envelopes

Proofreader's Marks

Tables

I focused mainly on the elementary version for Butterbean (8). Each lesson begins with an encouraging Scripture verse. The letters are learned first, with each lesson building upon what was learned the day before. The lessons also contain graphics of the keyboard, so your student has a visual. The instructions are easy to understand, even for an elementary reader. The lessons are short, allowing him to use the program virtually independently. By lesson 18 your student is typing text straight from God's Word. How exciting to not only learn how to type, but to learn Bible verses as well!

The section about the number keypad was pretty helpful, as some of the math websites we're reviewing require use of the keypad. However, Butterbean wasn't quite ready for official typing lessons. I do plan to use this curriculum when I feel he is ready.

Here's what really surprised me. I left the screen open one day to the first lesson. Hero sat down and proceeded to complete the lesson! Hmm, I have been know to strew things even for him, but who knew a typing program would be of interest!

I think overall, Keyboarding for the Christian School is a great program. If you'd like to read more about it, you can check out my fellow Crew members' blogs here. And if you'd like to purchase the ebook curriculum, you can do so here for $22.

Maestro Classics

2009-12-16T10:37:00.008-05:00

"Through wondrous new recordings, innovative educational and performance materials, and uplifting live performances, Maestro Classics guides audiences as they expand their listening horizons and discover the magic that can only be called music."

My family had an awesome review opportunity when Maestro Classics sent us a copy of The Tortoise and the Hare. We love listening to stories, and especially those that have exciting sound effects, and terrific narrators.

With music performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and story narrated by Yadu, Bonnie Ward Simon's adaptation of The Tortoise and the Hare was stunning! I popped the CD into the CD player at nap time. The children laid on their mats listening raptly to The Tortoise and the Hare. Later, we enjoyed listening and singing along with the Pretzel Vendor of Paris song. Babybug (11 months), Babyman (2) and Little A (2 1/2) loved dancing to the music! The lyrics and sheet music are included with the CD!

The accompanying booklet also contains photos of the orchestra instruments (which are described in detail by the composer on the CD), a mini music notes & time signatures lesson, interesting info about turtles, tortoises, rabbits and hares and a couple of paper/pencil games.

Maestro Classics has done an amazing job combining my three loves: music, education and storybooks! They have turned classic stories into exciting musical works of art. I am sure we will be enjoying Maestro Classics for years to come!

Please take a glance at Maestro Classics' website, where you can buy products, listen to samples, and even find coordinating lesson plans! You can purchase The Tortoise and the Hare for $16.98. There are several other story choices, as well; and you can purchase a gift set!

Enjoy reading other reviews by clicking the banner below.

Mathletics

2009-12-15T11:28:00.005-05:00

It's pretty important to review your math skills, lest you forget how to multiply! So it was fun (for me... and I suppose for the children!) to receive free access for a little while to Mathletics.

Mathletics is a "curriculum- based resource for students at school and home." Its website states the benefits as

*students love it, becoming highly motivated to improve

*phenomenal improvement rates

*weekly report emailed to parents

*used and trusted by millions of students and schools worldwide

*kindergarten to grade 8 available now

*less than $2 a week

Mathletics contains over 750 learning activities for children!

I could continue to quote from the website, but instead I'll tell you that our family loves Mathletics! The main user in our family has been our eight year old, but Mommy and Middleman (4) have used it as well.

Each time we visited Mathletics, we signed in with a user name and password. (The first time there, you'll create your own persona with a Face Maker.) You'll choose either Live Mathletics (Mommy thought it was great to be able to compete against children in other countries!), or an activity from a variety of math topics. After you've worked through all the activities, you can choose to take a test on what you've learned.

I cannot tell you if your child will love Mathletics, or if his math skills will certainly improve, but Butterbean's basic facts knowledge has improved. I enjoyed visiting the Parent center where I could check in on the boys' progress and print out practice workbooks if I chose.

Overall, we really enjoyed our free trial of Mathletics. Unfortunately, the cost of $59 per child per year is not in our budget right now! Don't take my word for it. Visit Mathletics yourself!

Read what my reviewer buddies have to say.

Tektoma Review

2009-12-11T16:50:00.007-05:00

Tektoma is a company that provides "engaging video tutorials that teach children game programming." Their website states

Tektoma offers you this:
Engaging video tutorials for ages 7-17
Tutorials of varying skill levels and topics
Learn at your own pace in the comfort of your home
Natural progression helps develop technical skills
Customize your learning experience
Low monthly membership fee gives access to all our resources
New curriculums available monthly

I received a free three month subscription to review.

The first thing I had to do in order to access all the materials needed was download Gamemaker software and a Gamemaker Resource folder. As we continually have some kind of computer difficulty, my first thought was a deep sigh and "oh, no, I don't want to download something else!" Luckily, Hero said it should be all right, and to go ahead, so on I went!

After downloading Gamemaker and the resources, I went right away to the first tutorial "How to make a racing game." I was intrigued with this one, as it is described as "appropriate for beginners and has no guns or shooting."

The gentleman talking in my tutorial does a really nice job explaining the how-tos. I love how the tutorial shows you onscreen exactly what you should see, and click on! I got pretty confused when so many windows kept popping up over the tutorial. I had to keep clicking in and out of windows; going back and forth between the tutorial and my game-making process! I had to keep stopping and starting, rewinding and fast-forwarding to make sure I had done everything correctly. During this whole process, my computer froze up on several occasions and I finally gave up!

Butterbean (8) tried out the first tutorial once. He sat through about five minutes worth, said "I'm bored," and went off to play energetically! My boys love computer games, but right now, game making doesn't hold their attention.

I think this website is very well organized, as were the tutorials. If I were a techie, or had a techie-kid (which one day in the future, the boys may well be!), I think Tektoma would be well worth the subscription!

To judge for yourself, or to subscribe to Tektoma for $14.95 per month please go here. To read what other reviewers have to say, go here.

Homemade Play dough

2009-12-10T08:57:00.003-05:00

There's something special about homemade play dough. Maybe my feeling stems from my childhood when Grandma would throw together some flour and water and we'd have an afternoon of fun.
When my four year old asked if he could play with play dough, I invited him to his kitchen step stool so we could make some. He loved stirring the mixture as I added the necessary ingredients to the big pot. To make it even more fun, I added aroma... pumpkin pie spice and a dash of nutmeg... mmmmm!
Together we watched and stirred, our arms getting tired, as the clumpy "mess" turned into a soft smooth dough. We turned it out of the pot onto the counter to knead it while it was still warm. I don't know which part was more fun, creating the dough with my "big boy," or helping him roll out and cut the dough with cookie cutters.
Yes, there's a bit of educational value (I look for it in everything!) to him using his small motor skills to measure, stir, roll and cut. But I think the bigger picture here was the time I spent with my little man making memories that will last a lifetime!
And for the practical side... here's my recipe!

Homemade Play dough
2 Cups flour
2 Cups water
1 Cup salt
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon cream of tartar
Food coloring (optional)
Spices (optional... I usually add this to my flour first)
Mix in a pot on the stove over low heat until it forms a ball and pulls away from the sides. Knead. Have fun!

All About Spelling

2009-12-04T12:02:00.000-05:00

Yay, yay, yay! I received All About Spelling from Take Away Press to review. I was very excited to receive actual printed curriculum, as it's been a while! I received Levels 1 and 2. Upon looking through the books, it looked like Level 1 would work for Middleman (4) and Level 2 for Butterbean (7).

All About Spelling is "the multisensory program for spelling success." Through the step by step scripted lessons, and the use of magnetic letter tiles, the oft dreaded spelling can be learned or relearned with relative ease. The built in daily review and constant repetition found in this curriculum are very helpful to both teacher and student.

Using the Phonogram Cards, Sound Cards, Key Cards and Word Cards, spelling can be taught visually, verbally, aurally and kinesthetically. Children will watch spelling concepts being demonstrated and written down. They will review spelling rules and segment words out loud, and say phonograms as they are written. They will write down dictated sounds, words and sentences. They will practice spelling using letter tiles.

I do think that before choosing All About Spelling, it would be helpful to read some of the sample lessons found on the website. It would be important to make sure your reading program works well with this spelling choice. As Middleman (4) is just learning how to read, I found the phonograms in All About Spelling to be introduced differently than he is learning them, causing some confusion. I'm not sure if this program would be appropriate for beginning readers. Although it does use phonics, it's a bit advanced for my early reader!

As I suspected, Butterbean flew right through level 1. We probably could have gone straight to level 2 as the first lesson is a quick review of level 1. In fact, looking at the examples on the website, he could probably spell all the words in all the lessons! [His Mommy is well known as a fantastic speller! Whenever spelling comes up in a conversation with friends or complete strangers (more often than you would think!), Daddy often says "Go ahead, Babe, spell antidisestablishmentarianism."] My children read widely and are read to A LOT. Combine copywork with reading above grade level, and they rarely see words spelled incorrectly. I have also never really allowed "invented spelling." Misspellings are generally not accepted when Mama is the teacher! Needless to say, even though Butterbean is already a good speller, it never hurts to learn those spelling rules!

Overall, we have really enjoyed using All About Spelling. We probably will not continue through all of the lessons with Butterbean, but we will more than likely use the Key (spelling rules) Cards for review as needed. After Middleman is fully reading, we probably will try out All About Spelling with him!

To purchase All About Spelling, check out their website here! You can get the Starter Kit for $26.95, Level 1 for $29.95 and Level 2 for $39.95. You can view a video recommending purchases to get started as well. If you'd like to read what other reviewers had to say, you can do so here.

Happy Birthday Firstborn!

2009-12-02T09:59:00.005-05:00

Sometimes I cannot believe I am a mommy! Let alone a mommy to an eight year old! We celebrated our first born's birth a few weeks ago with lots of excitement. We went roller skating (whew- blast from the past!), played laser tag (a first for me, but I must admit it was lots of fun!), and had ice cream cone cupcakes, at Butterbean's request. I thought I'd share some photos with you. Enjoy!

GyMathtics

2009-11-16T14:00:00.000-05:00

Exploramania sent me a free DVD to review. GyMathtics has won several awards, including Dr. Toy's 10 Best Active Products. We were pretty excited to check it out! Not only is GyMathtics a fitness video, but it has a mathematical twist as well! When we first popped in the DVD, it took the boys and me a few minutes to get into the groove. It was pretty difficult to read the menu on our t.v., but when we finally got going, I started "working out" with Ms. Carrie (hey, great name!) and her on-screen helpers.

The program includes

Shape Stretches Warm Up

Counting Calisthenics

Pattern Power

Well-Being Wind Down

Babyman really enjoyed watching and dancing with GyMathtics. It took Butterbean (8) and Middleman (4) a while to get up and take part! Normally they love active videos, but they both thought this one was a bit silly. Since the program is geared for 2nd-5th graders, I thought it would have been nice to have more of that age group appearing in the video (it looked to me like just one was of that age). I found the screen to be a bit busy at times, with the exercise portion shrunk down, and math-related graphics appearing. In my opinion, the exercise and math weren't as cohesive as they could have been. I felt at times they were disconnected with each other. I also felt the Wind Down voice-overs had absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the DVD!

Exploramania has a really cute website, so be sure to check it out! You can view a snippet of the GyMathtics video there. I think the overall idea was great, but our family, as a whole, didn't enjoy it as much as some families might. You can order your GyMathtics DVD for $24.99.

Don't just take my word, see what other reviewers have to say!

AVKO

2009-11-16T12:56:00.000-05:00

"AVKO is a non-profit, 501(C)3 membership organization that focuses on the development and production of materials and especially techniques to teach reading and spelling, handwriting (manuscript and cursive), and keyboarding. AVKO is dedicated to teaching everyone how to read and spell, regardless of their mild to moderate learning disabilities, dyslexia, poverty, or opportunity."

I had the opportunity to review this company as they have given me a free one year membership to their website. I find the website to be a bit overwhelming. It seems like it would be helpful to own AVKO's Sequential Spelling in order to really get into the site. However, I did enjoy perusing the oodles of free Ebooks! With your $25 a year membership, you will receive these Ebooks for free:

The Patterns of English Spelling (All 10 Volumes) with Word Families in Sentence Context
To Teach a Dyslexic
Starting at Square One
The Teaching of Reading & Spelling: a Continuum from Kindergarten through College.
The Reading Teacher's List of Over 5,500 Basic Spelling Words

You will also get access to the member's section, discounts on AVKO materials, Don McCabe's (AVKO's Research Director) workshop recordings, pretests and placement tests and supplemental materials (which is why it might be helpful to own Sequential Spelling).

I recommend you check out AVKO yourself and see if the membership works for your family!

To read what other reviewers have to say, click below!

American Heritage

2009-11-09T11:44:00.001-05:00

American Heritage Education Foundation sent me a free CD to review titled America's Heritage an adventure in liberty. My CD included lesson plans for Elementary, Elementary in Spanish, Middle School and High School. As my oldest is technically a third grader, I will focus on the Elementary level for this review.

The Elementary curriculum contains fourteen units including (but not limited to!) Colonial America, Thanksgiving, The Star Spangled Banner and The Pledge of Allegiance and Creed. The units contain exerpts from speeches of famous Americans, poetry, and activity suggestions for teachers and students focusing on the four themes of American Heritage; freedom, unity, progress and responsibily.

The worksheets & memorization tools, games & puzzles, read-alouds and even creative dramatics practically ensure fun learning of our important past. Our children also had the opportunity to brush up on our patriotic voices, as lyrics to many beloved songs are included. (hmm, maybe we'll remember the words when Mommy sings our National Anthem at the Pinewood Derby next year!)

There are some fantastic printables in this neat packet. I particularly enjoyed the President cards (hey, we need a current one, though), and The Star Spangled Banner unit. We plan to use the Thanksgiving lesson as a miniature unit study in the coming couple of weeks.

I think both teacher and students are bound to learn something through this all-American curriculum. It would be a great companion to any study of America.

Now for the best part. The CD version of this outstanding K-12 Teacher Lesson Plan Resource is FREE! If you'd like a printed bound edition, you'll need to pay just $19.50. We cannot wait to delve into it further!

To read what others think, check out our Crew Blog!

Bright Ideas Press - A Young Scholar's Guide to Composers

2009-11-06T18:14:00.000-05:00

As part of being a reviewer for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, I received a free digital copy of A Young Scholar's Guide to Composers from Bright Ideas Press. "This course provides a close-up look at famous composers, their music, and their times, with special attention to character traits and Christian testimony..."

I have been looking forward to receiving this study so that I might incorporate more classical music study in our homeschool days (and because I LOVE to listen to it!). For years, I have used classical music in my preschool classrooms and in my home to promote calmness and healthy brain activity. A Young Scholar's Guide to Composers has been a great addition to our growing knowledge of music past and present.

Throughout our test run of A Young Scholar's Guide to Composers, we learned about composers from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary Periods. We read about Vivaldi, Haydn and Mendelssohn, to name a few. We read about the lives of these great people, and were provided with lots of resources to reinforce what we learned.

Bright Ideas Press includes tons of hands on activities in their appendix. So although I thought the reading sections were a bit above my boys' heads, we enjoyed the time lines, coloring pages, composer cards and suggested listening links. As we grow, we will definitely take advantage of the note taking pages, Student Review Questions, maps and quizzes.

My primary goal has been to introduce a variety of classical music and the names of the great composers. Over time, as we study more about these musical masterpieces, this composer study will prove to be a great asset.

To find out more, please check out the Bright Ideas Press website. To purchase your A Young Scholar's Guide to Composers (recommended for grades 4-8) for just $29.95 for the CD-ROM version or $34.95 for paperback, you can do so here.

Want to know what other reviewers thought? Click on the banner below!

Babybug

2009-11-05T17:16:00.003-05:00

Yeah, I finally got Babybug's (my 10 month old niece) dress done! Here she is in all her ladybuggie cuteness!

ABC Teach

2009-10-30T11:43:00.000-04:00

Before I was officially a homeschooler, and was teaching preschool, I frequently searched the internet for themed activities to involve my little charges. My hubby had been using the net at work one day and called home to tell me about a cool website he'd happened upon.

In the free part of this website alone, there are 5000+ printable pages to choose from! The school subject categories are numerous, and they include (but are not limited to) Art, Handwriting, Math, Music, Science, Social Studies and Writing. There are printable flash cards, center ideas, and sections for Early Childhood, Elementary, Junior High and High School! My favorite is the Theme Units. There are worksheets for every theme imaginable! I recently used printables from Native Americans, Piligrims and Pumpkins. Hey, I just noticed there is a section on the Kentucky Derby! Very cool. See, no matter how much you go to the site (or how long you stay!), you'll find something new!

Now, those are just some of the things you'll find in the free section. Those 5000+ pages are pretty amazing. But can you imagine 30,000 more!? That's right. When you become a member for $40 a year, not only will you get over 35,000 printable worksheets, but you'll be able to create fully customized worksheets with the advanced worksheet generator, you'll see new activities every week, you'll have access to a huge clip-art collection, and you'll be able to talk to customer service reps about any concerns! You can check out abcteach's video tour here to learn more!

I try not to use too many worksheets in our homeschool. But when we do, I typically want something fun, with a theme. abcteach is just the place to find what I need!

If you'd like more info, click here.

If you'd like to read more reviews, click below.

I Beat Mommy in Chess... It was Easy!

2009-10-29T13:44:00.002-04:00

How I got roped into playing a game of chess with Butterbean today, I'll never know! There is something about strategy and me.... we just don't get along! But I'll tell you, after today, I certainly understand how he earned his chess belt loop in Cub Scouts! You know something is strange when your 7 year old tells his 4 year old brother "We have to go easy on her. She doesn't really understand how to play!"

Virginia Soaps and Scents... Yummy!

2009-10-28T11:45:00.000-04:00

Virginia Soaps and Scents sent me a package full of handmade goodies to review. When the box full of bed and breakfast-sized Handcrafted Olive Oil Soap bars arrived, my two littlest men (4 and 23 months) literally had a mini quarrel over it! You should see them in the bathtub when I let them loose with a bar. They love it!

The boys should be glad I even let them touch this deliriously yummy stuff. I mean, the way it smells it oughtta be edible! I received three soaps... Oatmeal, Milk & Honey; Fresh Orange and Coconut Lemongrass. The Oatmeal, Milk and Honey is my favorite! Typically I'm not much of an herbal smell girl. My allergies can't usually handle scents. But I wasn't bothered a bit by Virginia Soaps and Scents! If you'd prefer unscented, however, they make them too!

These gorgeous family-crafted bars, are made from "all natural ingredients with no added chemicals for hardening or lathering properites." They are also made with a generous amount of coconut oil, which is probably why I didn't have to use a ton of lotion after my shower like I typically do. They lather up wonderfully on my little bath puff, and they leave skin feeling soft and smelling delicious!

I also received a Ginger Lime scented shampoo bar to try out. Since it contains no fake lathering chemicals, it didn't lather up for me like I'm used to. But from what I understand, that's a good thing! The first time I used it, my hair felt different, but after using it several more times (which I didn't have to do every day like my normal shampoo) I realized that it was moisture. My hubby said my hair looked great, so for me, that's all that matters! I tried out the shampoo bar on Middleman and Babyman too. Babyman's uncut locks were left so soft and beautiful. Middleman wasn't so lucky. We apparently didn't rinse it out well enough, because his hippie hair looked pretty oily! We've done a better job since. I've also used the shampoo bar for shaving. It left my legs smooth, soft and silky!

I have always wanted to make my own laundry soap. But I thought the process would be a bear. With Virginia Soaps and Scents' laundry kit, it was a breeze. They sent me everything I needed for a half-gallon size jug of laundry soap. Now mine didn't gel up like it was supposed to, but that could, of course, be user error! My kit was unscented, so after each load, I got a whiff of nothing but pure clean clothes. And I mean clean. Even Hero's paintball cammos came out spickety span!

My family and I love the products we got to test out for Virginia Soaps and Scents. We highly recommend you check them out. They would make great gifts!

Be sure to check out Virginia Soaps and Scents' website. They have oodles of scented as well as unscented soaps in their varied product line. You can get your own hand-cut 4.5 ounce soap bar for just $4.50. The 5.5 ounce shampoo bar is $5.50 and also comes in an oily hair/clarifying formula (which I'll probably order!). You can get the laundry soap kit for $4.95 and it makes a whopping two gallons of gel! They have tons of other items to choose from. If you want to read what the other reviewers had to say, click here.

Bible Charts and Maps

2009-10-27T11:43:00.000-04:00

Bible Charts and Maps sent me a huge World History Chart to review . I thought this 35" x 45" card stock poster of world history would be a great chance to see all of history thus far. I put the chart under a clear table cloth on our kitchen table. Our table wasn't quite wide enough, so I trimmed the chart up to the border.

The World History Chart begins at Adam and takes its studier up through the year 2000. I'm not sure why it doesn't come a bit closer to present day. It uses color coding to denote races and religions of people groups. It's cool to be able to see that Confucius lived at the same time as Nebuchadnezzar. There is a lot of stuff on this chart that I had never heard of. Of course, that is to be expected. No one knows all of history! But after hunching over the table to study more, I discovered some data was gleaned from religious sources other than the Bible. I did wonder why they are included. Since I try to use Bible based history sources, that would have been confusing for my boys, if they had noticed it!

I am not a history buff, but I am trying to learn with my children. I am not sure if I was more confused before or after I received this timeline. It definitely provoked debate, questions and thought, which, as a homeschool mom and teacher is a good thing!

I'm not sure if I'd purchase the chart, although parts of it have definitely been interesting! To check out more for yourself, go to the Bible Charts and Maps website. You can purchase the chart for $29.97.

To hear what other reviewers have to say, check them out here.

Sue Patrick's Workbox System

2009-10-24T10:15:00.010-04:00

Sue Patrick and I must be kindred spirits of a sort. For years teaching preschool, I have used management systems to have children "clock in and out" of learning centers. I have organized materials into little boxes for them to complete in a certain order. I have used picture symbols since I was a child, helping my mom contact paper and velcro her speech and language educational materials.

Ms. Patrick has created an educational organization system that should fit all types of homeschooling families. It's called Sue Patrick's Workbox System. In fact, I think even classroom teachers could use this system to some extent. Even if I weren't homeschooling, I would use this system with my home childcare and preschool.

When I first heard of the Workbox System through homeschool blogs and yahoo groups, I thought the idea sounded familiar. When I saw Ms. Patrick's name on our list of The Old Schoolhouse reviews, I said "oh, please, please, please, let me be chosen for that review!"

Imagine how thrilled I was to open my inbox and see a download for Sue Patrick's Workbox System! This system of organizing a child's schoolwork into clear shoeboxes is detailed in Ms. Patrick's User's Guide.

Some of the chapters are titled
The Benefits of Homeschooling, How a Day Works, Breaking Down a Curriculum for Success and Life Skills Foundations. There is also has a fantastic section on creating centers. I had not thought of using posters as centers, and I cannot wait to make some!

The Workbox System uses a specific physical structure that enables children to see the work that they are accomplishing. Although I plan to purchase clear shoeboxes for this purpose (in KY I have yet to find them for cheaper than $1 apiece, and I refuse to spend $36 on shoeboxes!), we have a little wooden shelf that holds 16 colored boxes that have worked just perfectly. As my hubby would say "Why buy something, when you can use what you already have!" We have two shelves, so as soon as I find the space, we'll separate them. But for now, Butterbean has the top 8 (yellow and blue) and Middleman has the bottom 8 (red and green).

Having taught preschool for many years, and using Circle Time as part of my homeschool/home childcare routine, I have tons of little calendar numbers in varying and seasonal shapes. To make things more appealing to the boys, I have used those cut-outs for the numbers on our boxes. Everything is personalized and I will probably change out the numbers every month or so!

The educational philosophy presented in the System allows for organization, well presented school materials, peace and independence. We have found in our house that it does just as the book suggests in regards to discipline. Butterbean is excited to get to work each day, and he doesn't get bored and frustrated. Middleman gets so excited to see what fun things are in his workboxes each day. He loves to find play-dough, stringing beads, lacing cards and dry erase boards for printing practice. We have even set up a little box for Babyman, who loves to do his "wookbock." I know he will do well when we have the larger system set up for him!

I could probably go on for days talking about Sue Patrick's Workbox System. I love the idea, and I hope to continue using it with all three of my boys. I think it might even work with my childcare with a bit of variance! Overall, I highly recommend this book. I am so glad I had the opportunity to review it!

Now if you're interested in finding out more about Sue Patrick and her fabulous Workbox System, you can check out her website. She has the basic forms you'll need to download and they're free once you order the book ($19.95 print, &19 ebook). There are also several different packages available for purchase, including the Starter Kit that includes the basic forms already laminated and velocroed (velcro can be used as a verb, right?!).

If you'd like some more opinions, check out The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew blog.

Educaching Review

2009-10-19T17:33:00.002-04:00

If I didn't already know about Geocaching, I certainly would after having done my latest review.

Created by 5th grade teacher, Jason Hubbard and the staff of SDG Creations, Ltd., Educaching is an "innovative curriculum that uses GPS technology to teach all subject material including math, science and social studies." Using this 128 page activity guide and manual, students and their teachers are given the opportunity to "hunt for their learning," and the "ability to interact with the world around them..."

My family has used geocaching educationally since we began in August of 2008. So, when I received the digital version of Educaching in my inbox to review, I was excited, to say the least. What a great idea Mr. Hubbard had to use this up and coming world wide phenomenon to create a curriculum!

The digital version that I received contains five sections titled:
1. Teacher Training
2. Lesson Plans (including beginner, intermediate and advanced)
3. Field Sheets
4. Acquiring GPS (including Fundraising and Grant Writing 101)
5. Beyond the Basics

I loved the manual's layout. It is concisely written and very well organized. Before introducing the Educaching lessons, Mr. Hubbard describes in great detail what a GPS receiver is and does (Global Positioning System that basically tells you where you are on Earth!). He lets you know what features to look for when buying a GPS.

Educaching teaches you everything you need and ever wanted to know about geocaching; what a geocache is, travelbugs and geocoins (that reminds me, I need to drop my coins and travelbug in a cache somewhere!), and how to conduct his fabulous lessons.

And then... come the lessons! There are 20 planned lessons for you to use; 12 beginner, 6 intermediate and 2 advanced. The lessons can be used with a relatively large group of children, or just one child and they are geared for grades 4-8. Some of the beginner level lesson titles are

Grand Slam!

Dino Discovery!

Which Tree is Which?

Section 3 contains oodles of Field Sheets to go with the lessons. Your student or group of students will take these out into the field to use while he's searching for his cache. I think the field sheets were probably my favorite part of the curriculum! We have used a couple of them for our traditional family geocaching!

There's an invaluable section at the end that tells you how to obtain your GPSs; be it through fundraising, borrowing, purchasing (keep in mind, the more features, the more pricey!), and writing a grant to receive the receivers for your school.

Well, I can't tell you everything about Educaching, you'll have to get your own copy! I can tell you, though, that we absolutely love geocaching, and Educaching has been a super supplement to our already educational high-tech treasure hunting!

To purchase Educaching for $32 check it out here. I definitely recommend the 3-ring binder with CD version! Of course, you can get the electronic version as well. Read more about Educaching here. If you want to know what the other reviewers have to say, check it out here.

Reading My Library starting with Verna Aardema

2009-10-17T12:09:00.006-04:00

Well, we've done it. We have started Reading our Library! Our first author is Verna Aardema. The three books we have read are

Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears

Who's in Rabbit's House?

and What's So Funny, Ketu? It's a shame I couldn't find an image for this one, as it's a really cute cover, and illustrated by Marc Brown, one of our favorites (think, Arthur!). There are a few more books by Verna Aardema that we didn't have at our local library. But I'd really like to read them. We'll do a search and keep you posted!

As I'm already busy enough reviewing for The Old Schoolhouse, I won't do full reviews here. But I will say, we enjoyed these books, immensely, even though they did contain a few "no-no" words! They are classics, and worth checking out!

Sarah Books Review

2009-10-14T11:00:00.006-04:00

As part of being a reviewer for the Old Schoolhouse Magazine, I received a book via mail to review for Sarah Books.

In Sarah’s Wish, Jim Baumgardner has crafted an historical story about a twelve year old named Sarah. Through a life changing event that begins the tale, Sarah learns some pretty hefty lessons for a girl so young. Taking place during the time of the Underground Railroad, Sarah’s Wish was written for storyteller Baumgardner’s grandchildren. The book “introduces them to the institution of slavery and sheds some light on those who opposed it.”

I really enjoyed this wholesome piece of literature. It was easy to imagine myself part of the story. It was very realistic. I could almost hear Granny talking! I think my boys enjoyed my portrayal of Granny’s accent too!

I read the book aloud to my boys, ages seven and four. We read books to them that are above their personal reading levels. However, I felt that this book was a bit beyond their years. They understood more than I would have expected, even though we have yet to discuss slavery. I suppose in a way this introduced the issue! This book is a great read for older children. I would not, however recommend this book for seven and four year olds!

For more info on Sarah's Wish and the sequels, Sarah's Promise and Sarah's Escape, check out excerpts here.

You can purchase Sarah's Wish here for $9.99 which includes an autograph, a downloadable audio version and a subscription to Sarah's newsletter.

To read what other reviewers have to say, go here.

Guardian Angel Review

2009-10-09T17:08:00.002-04:00

As part of being a reviewer for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, I received five e-books to review for Guardian Angel Publishing.

The Sum of Our Parts: No Bones About It by Bill Kirk probably could have replaced a good portion of my human anatomy and physiology class in college! In this informative book, you learn all about your bones, how they work, their names, and much more! There are also little rhymes to help you remember the info. Eugene E. Ruble uses an almost creepy style of illustrating this book and my boys loved it! This got a great rating from our family!

Hamster Holidays, a humorous story by Cynthia Reeg is simply adorable! The cool part is, it's not just a story. Ms. Reeg uses delightful rhyme to teach readers about nouns and adjectives. The illustrations by Kit Grady are sweet enough to hold my 4 & 22 month olds' attention, and the text is just challenging enough for my 7 year old to work on his grammar skills! At the end of the book, there is a noun/adjective study guide, as well as puzzles and games for further practice. We really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. Get your copy here.

Mary Jean Kelso has created an inspirational tale of friendship between a child and his horse. In Andy and Spirit Go To The Fair, we learn about facing our fears, patience, perseverance, making friends, determination, and that it's okay to be different. The author provides oodles of resources at the end of the book, as well. If you want to know how to volunteer with wild horses, or how to join 4-H, it's all here! Who's the hero of this story, Andy or Spirit?
You be the judge!

Maybe We Are Flamingos is a picture book about being different. Safari Sue Thurman tells the story of two flamingos, who, through hilarious illustrations realize that being unique is a good thing!
Butterbean and Middleman thought this book was a riot! They recommend it for all!

Once again the illustrated stylings of Eugene Ruble caught our attention in this Earthquake book written by Susan J. Berger. This book is very informative. From charts, to activities, to earthquake preparedness, Ms. Berger fills our minds in a fun way with everything earthquake. It even won Honorable Mention at the 2009 Green Book Festival! Want to know more? Check out Ms. Berger's book here.

These books are priced to sell at just $5 each for the ebook. However, I'd go for the printed book version if I were you. You can never have too many books on the shelf! To order your copies, check out Guardian Angel Publishing's website.

Read what my fellow Crewmates have to say.

Reading My Library

2009-10-09T16:34:00.004-04:00

What a great idea! A fellow blogger (with a great name, by the way!) has started a blog about reading through all the picture books in her local library. I decided to take the challenge with her! So check out what she's doing here. And follow me to keep up with our books! We'll start at the A authors next week!

2009-10-06T10:56:00.001-04:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Hi Nana!

Nature Friend Magazine Review

2009-10-02T10:47:00.005-04:00

Problem: You want your children to read more. You would like them to learn a little more about nature. You'd like to get them a magazine subscription for Christmas, one that you don't have to edit because of its evolutionary views on Creation.

Solution: Nature Friend Magazine.

What fun this has been to review! The first thing that struck me about Nature Friend is the sturdiness! The pages are not like your average every day magazine. They are nice and thick with the cover sporting original photography of what else.... nature! I received the August and September issues to review.

Each of our issues began with a scavenger hunt for things to look for while you peruse the pages. Butterbean (7) especially liked searching for the butterflies, acorns and deer tracks. But since we've been discussing camouflage, Middleman (4) has been quite interested!

Our August issue explored the topics of owls, locusts (called cicadas in our neck of the woods, and how perfect as we heard a lot of them around the time we were reading this!), and soft-shelled turtles, among others. Babyman (22 months) absolutely loved the owl photos. He has learned what owls look like, and that they say "Hoo hoo" thanks to Nature Friend's amazing photos!

Nature Friend contains plenty of activities for our children to explore. Things like reader-submitted letters & pictures, word searches, monthly You Can Draw art lessons, and detailed articles written about God's awesome-ness that are NOT dumbed down.... a definite PLUS for me! Now I cannot guarantee this, but I can come pretty close in saying this magazine is a one-of-a-kind, in that it is a biblically based scientific magazine that is "helping families explore the wonder of God's Creation."

We also had the opportunity to sample the Study Guide. It's an 8-12 page insert that reinforces what you are learning in the magazine. It contains games, puzzles, research questions, a motto of the month, a creative writing lesson and a neat Photo Critique section where readers' photos can receive photography tips. If you choose to order the Study Guide with your subscription it costs $2 per month.

We love Nature Friend Magazine and highly recommend it!

Visit the order page to get your subscription for $36 for one year (12 issues).

To hear what my bloggy reviewer friends have to say, visit them here.

One Awesome Photographer

2009-09-25T10:34:00.004-04:00

Okay, so we fought as little girls. Who didn't? But as grownups, even though we live hundreds of miles away, and we only talk when our busy schedules permit, I am in awe of my big sister. My mom and I used to joke growing up that I would have a farm and a dozen children, and my sis would live in France and send us fancy perfume. Well she doesn't live in France, and she probably could care less about fancy perfume, but nevertheless, she still has done some amazing things! This mom, teacher, sister, daughter, auntie, friend, photographer (and who knows what else she has up her sleeve!), captures hearts on film. Looking at her photos, you can almost tell who a person is, what they're thinking, what they love! This is not just a shameless plug for a unique photography business, but a salute to my big sister.

Growing Healthy Homes Review

2009-09-22T10:16:00.000-04:00

Nutrition 101: Choose Life "written by a team of four mothers, this program is designed for positive, effective, long-term, healthy lifestyle changes."

The 448 page e-book that I received to review is a biblically based health and nutrition curriculum that is amazing! I began the program as a read-aloud to my 7 and 4 year olds and I quickly realized it was a bit above their heads. They did enjoy looking at the illustrations of the body systems, however, and I know we will be using this program as they grow a bit more.

But, all was not a lost cause, because the curriculum is perfect for me at this point in my life! As an allergic, migraine-prone, asthmatic mommy, and health-nut-wanna-be, this curriculum is everything I have been looking for and more. With 6 units, it is suggested to be completed in a year, covering one chapter a week. The units are:

Unit 1: The Brain and Nervous System

Unit 2: The Digestive System

Unit 3: The Respiratory, Olfactory, Auditory and Visual Systems

Unit 4: The Muscular and Skeletal Systems

Unit 5: The Cardiovascular and Immune Systems

Unit 6: The Endocrine System and Emotions

Each unit contains discussion questions, activities, recipes and additional resources.

But wait! That's not all. In addition to the units on anatomy and physiology, there are oodles of appendices with an extensive array of helpful charts with topics including Vitamins and Minerals, Nutritional Recommended Daily Allowances, How to Select Fresh Produce (with photos!), Sleep, Asthma and Nail Health. Betcha didn't know that your nails can serve as an "early warning signal for your health."

I took copious notes, and plan to head over to my local health food store to pick up some essential oils and herbs for my asthma and allergies as soon as I have a few extra bucks! I'll keep you posted on how that goes!

Now for the low-down. As much as I love this program, and will more than likely continue to use it over time, I found it a bit pricey. You can order the CD-ROM for $79.95, the book for $99.95 or the book/CD-ROM combo for $129.95. Simply go here.

If you're interested in checking out what my other Crewmates have to say about Nutrition 101:Choose Life, click here!

Singing for His Glory

2009-09-21T09:58:00.003-04:00

New Life Voices had a performance this weekend in Campbellsville, KY. Here are a couple of photos. Hopefully I'll get some music on here soon!

Studypod Review

2009-09-12T15:01:00.007-04:00

So, Butterbean doesn't study yet. It's perfectly okay, though, because this innovative company called Genio has created something that has way more uses in our house than just for studying! It's called, Studypod.

It's this ingenious little gadget that we received in the mail to review. When we first took the Studypod out of its box, what first struck me was the feel of it. It's sized and shaped like a book, sleek black in color (although, it comes in blue and pink too), and the texture is really cool.

Genio describes Studypod as a "book holder designed for students." It was developed by a teacher, and designed to hold books or papers at a comfortable level while working. It holds your book open so your hands are free for typing or writing. (or for me, feeding a baby!) It's super simple to set up. You pull out the stand, open the Studypod, and lock it into place. After you fold down the built-in shelves, you sit your book or paper on top. Then you fold over the page support arms to hold your book open, or your paper in place. Butterbean (7) and Middleman (4) both easily set it up. It has a cute little velcro mesh pocket inside for storing items too. The Studypod has come in handy for holding my guitar book open (yes, I am attempting to learn the guitar...hahaha). However, my favorite use so far is as a cookbook holder. Everytime I have baked, it never fails, I am propping my cookbook up; usually with the oatmeal container behind it, and cocoa in the front. Then inevitably, something slides on the counter, and the cookbook falls over, knocking the vanilla or cocoa powder with it! So not only has the Studypod made my recipe reading easier, but it's made my counters cleaner too!

Butterbean may not be a studier yet, but he does read and do copywork.

He loves building with legos. (See the Studypod holding up his instructions?!)And he is a magic trick fanatic ("Mommy, I'm turning the Studypod around so you can't see what I'm going to do.") As for my family, we love the Studypod, and I truly can see us using it for a long time to come!

For more info on Genio's Studypod, check out their website here. Normally the Studypod sells for $19.95. But if you're reading this review on my blog, you get a $5 discount! Just type in the code TOSBLOG5 when you order yours here.

Subscribe to The Old Schoolhouse™ Magazine for only $7.95!

2009-09-08T16:40:00.002-04:00

Homeschooling is a Labor of Love, and the Old Schoolhouse™ Magazine is celebrating your hard work as a parent by putting their one-year print subscriptions on sale!

For a very limited time, you can subscribe or renew for $7.95! (US only). International customers can subscribe to the digital edition for only 7.95!
You can buy a gift subscription for friends, too! To gift a subscription:
1. Go to the one-year subscription page (US only).
2. Scroll to the bottom of the page.
3. Enter the name, address, email and phone information for each recipient
4. Click "Add this to my cart."
5. The information will display in your cart and simply proceed to check out.

There are only 2000 of these available, and they are going quickly! Your subscription begins with their Fall Issue.If you live in an international location, you can subscribe to their digital edition for only $7.95! It's the same great content as their print magazine, except it is instant and interactive!

Potted Plant

2009-09-04T18:09:00.002-04:00

I was interviewing a family not long ago for childcare for their little one. The mom asked me "So, how do you go to the bathroom?" Well it took me a minute to figure out what she was talking about, because around here, it's known as the "potty." Yes, believe it or not, I have even asked store clerks before "Excuse me, where is the potty?" Back to the story. The woman's question was valid. After all, I take care of 6+ children all day all by myself. So when I can go to the potty, it's important to try and make sure everyone is occupied. Today the necessity came up and I placed 8 month old baby in her playpen. Everyone was busily playing. When I came out, the first thing I saw was the baby looking out giggling uncontrollably. The second thing I saw was a trail... of dirt... from the potted plant... all the way across my living room. The third vision was two little boys looking extremely guilty (Babyman and his 2 year old buddy), with their clenched fists gazing up at me as if to say "It wasn't me!" After several deep breaths, the broom and the dustbuster, I think I got most of the dirt cleaned up. I wonder if I'll find any under the couch cushions two weeks from now?!

Band-aids

2009-09-03T10:27:00.002-04:00

So, have you heard all the hullabaloo about mommy bloggers? Apparently we're a hot commodity. Oh, and we should be edited... censorship? I am not on that bandwagon. I don't think enough people even read my blog to worry about what I say. Plus, somebody, somewhere is going to be offended by something someone says!
Now I have heard that big companies have been giving mommy bloggers things for advertising on their blogs. And I say, Band-aid brand, if you are reading my blog, feel free to send me some free band-aids and I will gladly publicize you!!
As a mama with three little boys, boo-boos are inevitable. I swear, I just bought a box of 80 assorted band-aids two weeks ago. Butterbean just used the last one because he cut his finger on his tape measure. I think I should own stock in Band-aid!

Busy bees

2009-09-01T13:53:00.003-04:00

Compared to a lot of families we know, we are really not busy people. We have purposely tried not to involve ourselves in a ton of activities so that we would have time to just be. But every time I look at our calendars (yes, that's plural on purpose... we have the family calendar on the bulletin board, Butterbean and Middleman each have a calendar for school items, Daddy has a pocket one; and I have my planner) the days are more and more full! I just don't know how we have time for our jobs, schooling, Cub Scouts, New Life Voices, The Old Schoolhouse Reviews, The Great Postcard Exchange, geocaching, blogging, staying involved in (my) online groups and hanging at the YMCA. Not to mention the fact that every weekend we try to overhaul our house! I am desperately trying to declutter to simplify our lives. I don't know if it's even possible. Hero and I are both chronic pack rats!

Grapevine Studies Bible Study Review

2009-08-22T11:13:00.005-04:00

My latest review opportunity was given to me by Dianna Wiebe of Grapevine Studies. Now, I was a little bit nervous at the start of this review, because I have only done a few Bible studies myself, and never with my children. We read lots of bible stories, and have read children's devotional books, but I honestly have never even seen a children's Bible study. When Grapevine Studies came my way, I thought this would be a great beginning for our family.

I chose to review the New Testament Overview, Level 1 for Butterbean. He is seven years old, and learns right now at a third grade level. He is not a huge fan of art projects, and really he doesn't even like to draw, so I knew this "Stick Figuring through the Bible" study would be a challenge. The Bible study uses stick figure drawings and timelines to teach characters and events of the Bible chronologically. Since we do a bit of Classical Education, and our History lessons are chronological, I thought this would mesh well.

Now, a few of the things on the Grapevine supply list we do not own; a dry erase board, concordance and Bible dictionary. But we easily substituted paper for the board, and thankfully, the library had the concordance and dictionary! We just used our New International verson Bible.

I really like how the book is laid out. The Grapevine Method is detailed, explaining how the overall study should be conducted. "Grapevine Studies teaches the Bible as if it were a puzzle, doing the frame first. Once the framework is in place (the timeline) then individual pieces (Bible passages, characters and events) are much easier to place and understand in the context of the "whole puzzle" (the whole counsel of the Word of God)." Ms. Wiebe also gives extensive details on how to conduct the lessons. It took me a while to get into the swing of it. In fact, I had to read the how to teach Grapevine Lessons section several times! I finally decided to just take it slowly, and complete each lesson the way it works for us. Although my book is written for Levels 1-2 (we are Level 1), I found it a bit confusing which instructions pertained to us.

There are eight sections in my Level 1-2 teacher edition (I received the student ebook and the teacher edition book). Each section begins with Goals and Key Points, explaining the characters and events that those particular lessons will cover. This section was imperative for me, as I said, I'm new to children's Bible studies!

Monday through Thursday, we drew stick figures representing a portion of scripture that we read and discussed. Then on Fridays, I had Butterbean write out his memory verse from the week. Each day took us about 15 minutes; which for us, is plenty of time! After the first day, Butterbean said "Mommy, can we keep doing this after you're done with the review?" Now, that's an A from my 7 year old if I ever heard one! For the first few days, Butterbean copied my drawings almost exactly. Now, 7 lessons later, he has given each of them his own touch.
Overall, we really are enjoying the Grapevine Studies. The New Testament Overview (listed for ages 6-8, first and second grade) was a bit challenging for a novice Bible studier. I highly recommend this study, but I do suggest you check out the levels thoroughly, especially if you don't have much Bible study experience, like me!

Normally the New Testament Overview sells for $25.95 . However, readers of my blog get a 30% discount for the next thirty days. Just enter the code crew9 when you order!

Also, click here if you'd like to read more reviews about Grapevine Studies.

Hero Hubby

2009-08-21T13:01:00.003-04:00

Last night Babyman came to me in an obvious distraught state, pointing to the front door saying "Mommy, moke, moke, hot, hot!" I hadn't heard Daddy go out the door a few minutes earlier, so I worried when I couldn't find him anywhere. When I followed Babyman to the door, we could see billows of black smoke coming from behind the house across the street. Within five minutes, 8 firetrucks had arrived on our street. When they headed behind the house, Hero hubby was coming out. He had seen the fire, run out, retrieved our hose and began dousing the flames of the neighbors' garage, who weren't home. He extinguished the fence and the outside of the garage, before the firefighters arrived to finish the inside of the garage. Even though not a uniformed firefighter (not yet, anyway!), my hubby reminded me last night what a true hero he really is!

Maverick Books

2009-08-20T12:49:00.006-04:00

Well I was ecstatic when I checked the mailbox yesterday! I received a package from Maverick Books (Hank the Cowdog). I thought, "What in the world? We already completed our review!" The boys were absolutely thrilled to open the package and find 4 WHITE DROVERS!! If you read my original Hank the Cowdog review, you'll remember that Butterbean was sure that Drover was supposed to be white. I wasn't as concerned, and we have loads of fun playing the game anyway. But how exciting that Maverick was kind enough to send us new Drovers, in the correct color. Thanks, Maverick!Oh, and yes, it was necessary to take a photo with all of us holding a Drover! (sorry, Daddy, not you! I don't think he'll be sad about it!)

Official School Day

2009-08-17T13:58:00.003-04:00

Well, today began our official school year. We homeschooled a little bit during the summer. But today we really got back to business. I'm doing some research on how others schedule their days, so if you have your schedule posted on your blog, leave me a comment! I'm sure there's a blogger who has already linked to all of your schedules, so if I missed the boat, let me know! I have wanted to stick to a rigorous Classical schedule, as suggested in The Well Trained Mind. But having the 3 boys that I have, and the childcare, I'm not sure this is going to be possible every day of the week! I'd love to "Charlotte Mason strew" as well. Anyone have success with this method? I've heard that I'm not the only one who changes their style many times throughout the year, so I'm glad I'm not alone.

Quarter Mile Math Review

2009-08-14T12:50:00.014-04:00

The Quarter Mile Math, developed and published by Barnum Software, has been a huge hit in my house! Not only for Butterbean, my "official" school-ager, but for Babyman and Middleman too! Even Mama got in on the action. You see, when I was in school, many moons ago, math was not my strongest subject. Okay, who am I fooling here, I could not stand math. I didn't like going to math class, didn't like doing math homework, would nearly cry if I was called upon to answer a question or (gasp!) answer a problem at the board; and I still remember my math teachers from highschool with great disdain. But I tell you what, if Quarter Mile Math had been around back then, I might have a different opinion.

I received the Deluxe edition in the mail to review. It covers levels 1,2 and 3 starting at Kindergarten level and ending at 9th grade. Given oodles of Subjects (like Fractions, Percents and Equations) and Topics (for example, Regrouping, Multiplication, Base 10) to choose from, a student races against his own best time. He is given a math problem and the quicker he answers it correctly, the faster his horse runs, or his race car drives! The deluxe version covers 323 topics and over 70,000 math problems! You can see them here.

Now, even though I'm originally from Indiana, I think it's pretty cool that I live in the horse capital of the world, my father-in-law used to be a jockey, and I get to practice my math skills using horse racing!

Oh, I almost forgot the children! I suppose it was created for them, after all! Butterbean (7) really enjoys this math software, which is popularly used in Sylvan Learning Centers. The game is very encouraging to him, whether he gets the answer correct or incorrect. I love that, because I don't want him to despise math like I did! He thinks it's cool that he can choose his own topics, and he feels successful when that horse (his favorite) beats all the others! It has been awesome for practicing his mental addition, and multiplication!

Of course, this wouldn't be a proper review without Middleman (4), who is my official review assistant! He likes the game too, switching back and forth from cars to riderless horses every single race! He loves the sound effects! (Who wouldn't love the thundering of horses' hooves and the revving of race car engines!) Although he hasn't formally begun a math program yet (other than using manipulatives with Mommy, and math questions, incognito), this game is a fun introduction to math. Even Babyman (20 months) got into the racing. He stands on his little wooden stool next to whomever is playing the game. When the race is over he signs and says "More, more!" He is mesmerized by the excitement he watches on the computer screen!

The motivation a child (or parent/teacher!) receives is terrific. As a homeschooler, this has been an outstanding way for our whole family to practice our math skills. As a mommy, I love playing the game; relearning things I have long ago forgotten! It really is great for my guys to see Mommy enjoying math! We hope you'll like this program if you choose to purchase it. We enjoy it so much, we plan to use it as a regular part of our daily math time this year!

If you're interested in purchasing The Quarter Mile Math, check out the website here. You can see a demo of the game, and the different ordering options. If you want to read more reviews, check them out here.

Postcard Exchange

2009-08-13T14:23:00.003-04:00

I am so excited that I have heard from so many people on The Great Postcard Exchange I started! I know, I'm a nut trying to think I can do that, plus school, and daycare and New Life Voices and TOS Reviews (and I'm sure there's more I've forgotten!). My husband tells me so all the time! If you are a homeschooling family, and you'd like to join in the fun, leave me a comment or send me an email! We'd love to have all of you join the exchange!

Blog Button

2009-08-12T19:46:00.002-04:00

For the last hour I have tried to create a button for my blogs while B, M and B have been playing transformers. Unsuccessful! Off to do more research!

Random Photos From My Camera

2009-08-06T13:43:00.002-04:00

Middleman using his new skill with Babyman
Babyman loves to bake. Especially when he gets to use "Coco"

Who are those masked men?

Daddy and Babyman raking the garden.

Auntie's babygirl napping in the exersaucer.